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BS    485     ."C168  TSA'y^vTTT 
Calvin,    Jean,     1509-1564. 
Commentaries    . .  . 


1 


> 


TV 

I 


COMMENTARIES 


ON  THE 


TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 


VOL.  I. 


HOSEA. 


THE  CALVIN  TRANSLATION  SOCIETY, 


INSTITUTED  IN  MAT  M.DCCC.XI.III. 


FOR  THE  PUBLICATION  OF  TRANSLATIONS  OF  THE  WORKS  OF 

JOHN  CALVIN. 


c^ a<UrurryLU/  furrn/  ^0<yw£nrJw'uiune/md  W&chL/  (brn/\luinAjrxf'  Vf^ 


I 

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Q^'D  eA/)^  g)  c/rfuOi . 


1 


COMMENTARIES 


ON  THE 


TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 


BY  JOHN  '^LVIN. 


» 

NOW  FIRST  TRANSLATED  FROM  THE   ORIGINAL  LATIN 

BY  THE  REV.  JOHN  OWEN, 

VICAR  OF  THRUSSINGTON,  LEICESTERSHIRE. 


VOLUME  FIRST. 


HOSEA. 


EDINBURGH  : 

FEINTED  FOR  THE  CALVIN  TRANSLATION  SOCIETY. 

M.DCCC.XLVI. 


[CBntereB  at  ©tatfoneris'  J^all.] 


THE  EDINBURGH  PRINTING  COMPANY, 

12,  South  St  David  Street. 


TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 


Prejudice  has  often  deprived  many  of  advantages  which 
they  might  have  otherwise  derived  :  and  this  has  been  much 
the  case  with  respect  to  THE  Works  of  Calvin  ;  they  have 
been  almost  entirely  neglected  for  a  long  time,  owing  to  im- 
pressions unfavourable  to  the  Author.  In  his  own  and  the 
succeeding  age,  the  authority  of  Calvin  as  a  Divine,  and  espe- 
cially as  an  Expounder  of  Scripture,  was  very  high,  and  higher 
than  that  of  any  of  the  Reformers.  Though  an  eminent 
writer  of  the  present  day,  Dr  D'Aubigne,  has  pronounced 
Melancthon  "  the  Theologian  of  the  Reformation,"  yet  there 
is  suflficient  reason  to  ascribe  that  distinction  to  Calvin ;  and 
to  him,  no  doubt,  it  more  justly  belongs,  than  to  any  other 
of  the  many  illustrious  men  whom  God  raised  up  during 
that  memorable  period. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  what  happened  to  our 
Author.  Varioui#things  combined  to  depreciate  his  repute. 
In  this  country  his  views  on  Church  government  created  in 
many  a  prejudice  against  him ;  and  then  the  progress  of  a 
theological  system,  not  more  contrary  to  what  he  held  than  to 
what  our  own  Reformers  maintained,  increased  this  pre- 
judice ;  and  where  the  former  ground  of  difference  and  dis- 
like did  not  exist,  the  latter  prevailed :  so  that,  generally  in 
our  Church,  and  among  Dissenting  bodies,  the  revered  name 


vi  translator's  preface. 

of  Calvin  has  been  regarded  with  no  feelings  of  affection,  or 
even  of  respect ;  no  discrimination  being  exercised,  and  no 
distinction  being  made  between  his  great  excellencies  as  an 
Expounder  of  Scripture,  and  his  peculiar  views  on  Church 
discipline,  and  on  the  doctrine  of  Predestination. 

On  the  Continent  other  things  operated  against  his  repu- 
tation. Popery  owed  him  a  deep  grudge  ;  for  no  one  of  the 
Reformers  probed  the  depths  of  its  iniquities  with  so  much 
discrimination,  and  with  such  an  unsparing  hand  as  he  did. 
His  remarkably  acute  mind  enabled  him  to  do  this  most 
effectually;  and  there  is  much  on  this  subject  in  the  present 
work,  which  renders  it  especially  valuable  at  this  period, 
when  Popery  makes  such  efforts  to  spread  its  errors  and 
delusions.  The  two  weapons  which  he  commonly  employed 
were  Scripture  and  common  sense, — weapons  ever  dreaded 
by  Popery  ;  and  to  blunt  their  edge  has  at  all  times  been  its 
attempt,  the  first,  by  vain  tradition,  and  the  other,  by  im- 
plicit faith,  not  in  God,  or  in  God's  word,  but  in  a  palpably 
degenerated  Church.  But  these  weapons  Calvin  wielded 
with  no  common  skill,  dexterity,  and  power,  being  deeply 
versed  in  Scripture,  and  endued  with  no  ordinary  share  of 
sound  and  penetrating  judgment.  In  addition  to  this,  his 
doctrinal  views  were  diametrically  opposed  to  those  of 
Popery,  and  especially  to  the  papal  system,  as  modified  by 
and  concentrated  in  Jesuitism,  which  may  be  cousidered  to 
be  the  most  perfect  form  of  Popery.  For  these  reasons,  the 
Writings  of  Calvin  could  not  have  been  otherwise  than 
extremely  obnoxious  to  the  adherents  of  the  Church  of 
Rome :  and  the  consequence  has  been,  that  they  spared  no 
efforts  to  vilify  his  name,  and  to  lessen  his  reputation. 

The  first  writer  of  eminence  and  acknowledged  learning  in 
this  country,  who  has  done  any  thing  like  justice  to  Calvin, 


translator's  preface.  vii 

was  Bishop  Horsley;  and  when  we  consider  the  very  strong 
prejudice  which  at  that  time  prevailed  ahnost  in  all  quarters 
against  Calvin,  to  vindicate  his  character  was  no  ordinary 
proof  of  moral  coui'age.  There  were,  no  doubt,  some  points 
in  which  the  two  were  very  like.  They  both  possessed  minds 
of  no  common  strength  and  vigour,  and  minds  discriminat- 
ing no  less  than  vigorous.  In  clearness  of  perception,  also, 
they  had  few  equals ;  so  that  no  one  needs  hardly  ever  read 
a  passage  in  the  writings  of  either  twice  over  in  order  to 
understand  its  meaning.  But  probably  the  most  striking 
point  of  likeness  was  their  independence  of  mind.  They 
thought  for  themselves,  without  being  swayed  by  authority 
either  ancient  or  modern,  and  acknowledged  no  rule  and  no 
authority  in  religion  but  that  which  is  divine.  The  Bishop 
had  more  imagination,  but  the  Pastor  of  Geneva  had  a 
sounder  judgment.  Hence  the  Bishop,  notwithstanding  his 
strong  mind  and  great  acuteness,  was  sometimes  led  away  by 
what  was  plausible  and  novel ;  but  Calvin  was  ever  sober- 
minded  and  judicious,  and  whatever  new  view  he  gives  to  a 
passage,  it  is  commonly  well  supported,  and  for  the  most 
part  gains  at  once  our  approbation. 

But  something  must  be  said  of  the  present  work. 

It  embraces  the  most  difficult  portion,  in  some  respects,  of 
THE  Old  Testament,  and  of  that  portion,  as  acknowledged 
by  all,  the  most  difficult  is  the  Book  of  the  Prophet 
HoSEA.  Probably  no  part  of  Scripture  is  commonly  read 
with  so  little  benefit  as  the  Minor  Prophets,  owing,  no 
doubt,  to  the  obscurity  in  which  some  parts  are  involved. 
That  there  is  much  light  thrown  on  many  abstruse  passages 
in  this  Work,  and  more  than  by  any  existing  Comment  in 
our  language,  is  the  full  conviction  of  the  writer.  Acute, 
sagacious,  and  sometimes  profound,  the  Author  is  at  the  same 


viii  translator's  preface. 

time  remarkably  simple,  plain,  and  lucid,  and  ever  practical 
and  useful.  The  most  learned  may  here  gather  instruction, 
and  the  most  unlearned  may  understand  almost  every  thing 
that  is  said.  The  whole  object  of  the  Author  seems  to  be  to 
explain,  simjDlify,  and  illustrate  the  text,  and  he  never  turns 
aside  to  other  matters.  He  is  throughout  an  Expounder, 
keeps  strictly  to  his  office,  and  gives  to  every  part  its  full 
and  legitimate  meaning  according  to  the  context,  to  which 
he  ever  especially  attends. 

The  style  of  Hosea  is  somewhat  peculiar.  Jerome  has 
long  ago  characterised  it  as  being  conunatic,  sententious  ;  and 
those  links,  the  connective  particles,  by  which  different  parts 
are  joined  together,  are  sometimes  omitted.  This  is,  indeed, 
in  a  measure  the  character  of  the  style  of  all  the  Prophets, 
but  more  so  with  respect  to  Hosea  than  any  other.  What 
at  the  same  time  creates  the  greatest  difficulty  is  the  rapidity 
of  his  transitions,  and  the  change  of  person,  number,  and 
gender.  Persons  are  spoken  to  and  spoken  o/"  sometimes  in 
the  same  verse ;  and  he  passes  from  the  singular  to  the  plural 
number,  and  the  reverse,  and  sometimes  from  the  masculine 
to  the  feminine  gender.  To  account  for  these  transitions  is 
not  always  easy. 

It  has  been  thought  by  many  critics,  that  the  received 
Hebrew  text  of  Hosea  is  in  a  more  imperfect  state  than  that 
of  any  other  portion  of  Scripture  ;  but  Bishop  Horsley  denies 
this  in  a  manner  the  most  unhesitating ;  and  those  emen- 
dations which  Archbishop  Newcome  introduced  in  his  version, 
about  51  in  number,  the  Bishop  has  swept  away  as  unauthor- 
ised, and,  indeed,  as  unnecessary,  for  most  of  them  had  been 
proposed  to  remedy  the  anomalies  peculiar  to  the  style  of 
this  Prophet ;  and  some  of  those  few  emendations,  which 
the  Bishop  himself  introduced,  founded  on  the  authority  of 


translator's  preface.  IX 

MSS.,  Calvin's  exposition  shows  to  be  unnecessary.  The 
fact  is,  that  different  readings,  collected  by  the  laborious 
Kennicott  and  others,  have  done  chiefly  this  great  good — to 
show  the  extraordinary  correctness  of  our  received  text. 
Throughout  this  Prophet,  there  is  hardly  an  instance  in 
which  the  collations  of  MSS.  have  supplied  an  improvement, 
and  certainly  no  improvement  of  any  material  consequence. 

This  Work  of  Calvin  appears  now  for  the  first  time  in 
the  English  language.  There  is  a  French  translation,  but 
not  made  by  the  Author  himself,  as  in  the  case  of  some  other 
portions  of  his  writings,  and  can  therefore  be  of  no  authority. 
The  following  translation  has  been  made  from  an  edition 
printed  at  Geneva  in  1567,  three  years  after  Calvin's  death, 
compared  with  another,  printed  also  at  Geneva  in  1610. 

It  has  been  thought  advisable  to  adopt  our  common  ver- 
sion as  the  text,  and  to  put  Calvin's  Latin  version  in  a  paral- 
lel column.  His  version  is  a  literal  rendering  of  the  original, 
without  any  regard  to  idiom,  and  to  translate  it  has  been 
found  impracticable,  at  least  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  under- 
stood by  common  readers.  His  practice  evidently  was  to 
translate  the  Hebrew  word  for  word,  and  to  make  this  his 
text,  and  then  in  his  Comment  to  modify  the  expressions  so 
as  to  reduce  them  into  readable  Latin,  and  his  version  thus 
modified  agrees  in  most  instances  with  our  authorised  version. 
The  agreement  is  so  remarkable,  that  the  only  conclusion  is, 
that  this  Work  must  have  been  much  consulted  by  our  Trans- 
lators. 

In  making  quotations  from  Scripture,  the  Author  seems  to 
have  followed  no  version,  but  to  have  made  one  of  his  own ; 
and  they  are  often  given  paraphrastically,  the  meaning  rather 
than  the  words  being  regarded.     The  same  is  often  done 


X  TRANSLATOR  S  PREFACE. 

also  with  respect  to  the  passages  explained,  the  words  being 
frequently  varied.  In  these  instances  the  Author  has  been 
strictly  followed  throughout  in  this  Translation,  and  his  quo- 
tations, and  the  text  when  paraphrased,  are  marked  by  a  single 
inverted  comma. 

The  Hebrew  words  which  occur  in  the  Lectures  are  not 
accompanied  with  the  points,  and  it  has  not  been  deemed 
necessary  to  add  them.  The  words  are  given  in  correspond- 
ing English  characters,  with  the  insertion  of  such  vowels  only 
as  are  necessary  to  enunciate  them,  and  these  vowels,  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  Hebrew  vowels,  are  put  in  Roman 
characters.  The  Hebrew  vowels  are  uniformly  given  the 
same,  and  not  with  that  almost  endless  variety  of  sounds  to 
which  the  points  have  reduced  them.  The  1,  vau^  is  always 
represented  by  u,  except  when  in  some  instances  it  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  vowel,  and  then  by  v.  The  Hebrews  have  four 
vowels  corresponding  with  a,  e,  u,  i,  and  o,  in  English. 

This  work  is  calculated  to  be  of  material  help  to  those 
engaged  in  translations.  Our  Missionaries  may  derive  from 
it  no  small  assistance,  as  it  gives  as  literal  a  version  of  the 
Hebrew  as  can  well  be  made,  and  contains  much  valuable 
criticism,  and  developes,  in  a  very  lucid  and  satisfactory 
manner,  the  drift  and  meaning  of  many  difficult  passages. 
There  is  no  existing  Commentary  in  which  the  text  is  so 
minutely  examined,  and  so  clearly  explained.  There  are 
also  many  of  the  most  approved  expositions  given  by  others 
I'eferred  to  and  stated ;  and  the  Translator  has  added,  on 
interesting  and  difficult  passages,  what  has  been  suggested 
by  learned  critics  since  the  time  of  the  Author. 

If  it  be  a  right  rule  to  judge  of  the  impressions  which  the 
perusal  of  this  volume,  now  presented  to  the  public,   may 


translator's  preface.  xi 

produce  on  others,  by  what  one  has  himself  experienced,  the 
Editor  will  mention  one  thing  in  particular,  and  that  is,  that 
he  fully  expects  that  those  who  will  carefully  read  this 
volume  will  be  more  impressed  than  ever  with  the  extreme 
propensity  of  human  nature  to  idolatry,  and  with  the  amaz- 
ing power  and  blinding  effects  of  superstition.  The  con- 
duct of  the  Israelites,  notwithstanding  all  the  means  em- 
ployed to  restore  them  to  the  true  worship  of  God,  is  here 
described  with  no  ordinary  minuteness  and  speciality. 
Though  God  sent  his  Prophets  to  them  to  remind  them  of 
their  sins,  to  reason  and  expostulate  with  them,  to  threaten 
and  to  exhort  them,  to  draw  and  allure  them  with  promises 
of  pardon  and  acceptance  ;  and  though  God  chastised  them 
in  various  ways,  and  then  withheld  his  displeasure,  and 
showed  them  indulgence,  they  yet  continued  obstinately 
attached  to  their  idolatry  and  superstition,  and  all  the  while 
professed  and  boasted  that  they  worshipped  the  true  God,  and 
perversely  maintained  that  their  mixed  service,  the  worship  of 
God,  and  the  worship  of  idols,  was  right  and  lawful,  and 
vastly  superior  to  what  the  Prophets  recommended. 

Having  this  case  of  the  Israelites  in  view,  we  need  not  be 
surprised  at  the  fascinating  and  blinding  influence  of  Popery, 
whose  idolatry  and  superstitions  are  exactly  of  the  same 
character  with  those  of  the  Israelites  ;  no  two  cases  can  be 
more  alike.  Their  identity  is  especially  seen  in  this, — that 
there  is  an  union  of  two  worships — of  God  and  of  images  ; 
and  this  union  was  the  idolatry  condemned  in  the  Israelites, 
and  is  the  very  idolatry  that  now  exists  in  the  Church  of 
Rome :  and  as  among  the  Israelites,  so  among  the  Papists, 
though  God  is  not  excluded,  but  owned,  yet  the  chief  worship 
is  given  to  false  gods  and  their  images.  That  the  two  sys- 
tems are  the  same,  no  one  can  doubt,  except  those  who  are 
under  the  influence  of  strong  delusion  ;  and  this  is  what  is 
often  referred  to  and  amply  proved  in  this  work. 


xii  translator's  preface. 

It  may  be  useful  to  subjoin  here  an  account  of  the  time 
in  which  the  Twelve  Minor  Prophets  lived.  The  pre- 
cise time  cannot  be  ascertained :  they  flourished  between 
the  two  dates  which  are  here  given.  The  names  of  the 
other  four  Prophets  are  also  added. 

BEFORE  THE  BABYLONIAJST  CAPTIVITY. 

BEFORE  CHRIST. 

I.  Jonah, 856—784. 

n.  Amos, 810—785. 

in.  HosEA, 810—725. 

1.  Isaiah, 810—698. 

IV.  Joel, 810—660. 

V.  MicAH, 758—699. 

VI.  Nahum, 720—698. 

Vn.  Zephaniah, 640—609. 

IMMEDIATELY  PEEVIOUS  TO  AND  DUEING  THE 

CAPTIVITY. 

2.  Jeremiah, 628—586. 

Vm.  Habakkuk, 612—598. 

3.  Daniel, 606—534.  ^ 

IX.  Obadiah 588— 583r^"^ 

4.  Ezekiel, 695—536. 


AFTER  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

X.  Haggai, 520—518. 

XI.  Zechariah, 520—518. 

Xn.  Malachi, 436—420. 

In  the  last  Volume,  the  fourth,  will  be  given  the  two 
Indices  appended  to  the  original  work. 

J.  O. 

Thkusslngtok,  September  1,  1846. 


POSTSCRIPT. 


After  the  preceding  Preface  had  gone  through  the 
press,  it  has  been  discovered  that  The  Twelve  Minor 
Prophets  cannot  be  comprised  in  four  volumes  of  the  size 
generally  published  in  the  present  Series  of  The  Works  of 
John  Calvin. 

The  Translation,  though  it  be  as  brief  and  concise  as  the 
idiom  of  the  English  language  will  well  admit,  takes  up  more 
space  than  the  Editor  at  first  anticipated.  His  first  calcula- 
tion was  made  from  the  Latin  :  he  was  not  then  fully  aware 
of  the  great  disparity  in  the  two  languages  as  to  relative  dif- 
fuseness  of  style.  He  has  since  found,  by  a  minute  compa- 
rison, that  a  work  in  Latin,  comprised  in  five  volumes,  would 
require  at  least  six  of  the  same  size  and  type  in  English : 
.and  in  the  present  instance,  what  was  calculated  would  be  con- 
tained in  four,  must  be  extended  to  Jive  volumes,  on  account 
of  the  respective  Prefaces  and  Notes,  &c.  by  the  Editor, 
besides  the  Literal  Translations  of  each  of  the  Books  of 
THE  Twelve  Minor  Prophets,  which  it  has  since  been  re- 
solved shall  be  appended  to  each  successive  Commentary. 

The  arrangement  of  this  Work,  now  made  with  some  de- 
gree of  certainty,  is  as  follows  : 

The  First  Volume  is  to  contain  Hosea  ; 

The  Second  Volume,  Joel,  Amos,  and  Obadiah  ; 


xiv  POSTSCRIPT. 

The  Third  Volume,  Jonah,  Micah,  and  Nahum  ; 

The  Fourth  Volume,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  and 
Haggai;  and 

The  Fifth  Volume,  Zechariah  and  Malachi  ;  with  the 
Tables  and  Indices  to  the  whole  Work. 

On  this  account,  the  Volumes  cannot  be  all  of  equal  size, 
some  being  considerably  above,  and  some  below,  the  average 
extent  of  the  present  Series  of  Calvin's  Works,  being  500 
pages  on  the  average.  To  avoid  such  inequality,  it  would 
have  been  needful  to  divide  some  of  the  Books — a  thing  by 
no  means  desirable  in  any  case,  and  which  has  been  studiously 
shunned  in  all  the  other  Commentaries. 

In  addition  to  what  w^as  originally  contemplated,  there 
will  be  sriven  at  the  end  of  each  Book  a  continuous  Literal 
Translation  of  Calvin's  Latin  Version,  as  modified  by 
his  Commentary ;  and  the  Editor  is  requested  to  state  that  a 
similar  plan  is  to  be  observed  in  all  the  other  Prophetical 
Books  of  the  Old  Testament. 

EDITOR. 


Thrussington,  Se]>temhci'  1846. 


LECONS 


ET 


EXPOSITIONS  FAMILIERES 


DE  JEAN  CALVIN 

SUE  LES 


DOVZE   PETIS   PROPHETES: 


ASCAVOIR, 

HOSEE 

lONAS 

SOPHONIAS 

lOEL 

MICHEE 

AGGEE 

AMOS 

NAHVM 

ZACHARIE 

ABDIAS 

HABACVC 

MALACHIE : 

Traduites  de  Latin  en  Francois. 

Auec  deux  Tables:  I'vne  des  matieres principales  qui  y  font  contenues: 
V autre  des  pajfages  de  VEfcriture  expofezpar  VAutlieur. 


A   LION, 
PAR   SEBASTIEN   HONORATL 


M.     D.     LXIII. 


I    0    A    ]N    ^    I    S 

C  A  L   V   I   N   I 

FRJELECTIONES 

IN 

DVODECIM       PROPHE- 

TAS    (QVOS    VOCANT) 

M I N  O  R  E  S. 

Ad  Serenifsimum  Sueticz  &f  GothicB  Regem. 

Reconditam  harum  Commentationum  doctrinam  facile  common- 
ftrabunt  Indices  in  calce  operis  adiecti. 


CO 


■s 

•<s> 


o 


B- 


GENEVA. 
APVD    JOANNEM    CRISPINVM, 
•    M.    D.    LXVII. 


PORTRAIT  OF   OALA^N, 

ENGRAVED  IN  FAC-SIMILE,  AND  PREFIXED  TO 
THE  PRESENT  VOLUME. 


It  has  been  deemed  a  matter  of  importance  as  well  as  curio- 
sity to  preserve,  in  the  present  Series  of  English  Transla- 
tions OF  THE  AVoRKS  OF  Calvin,  facsimile  engravings  of 
all  the  authentic  contemporaneous  Portraits  which  can  still 
be  recovered  of  the  great  Genevan  Reformer. 

The  Portrait  which  accompanies  the  present  Volume  is 
preserved  in  the  curious  and  valuable  collection  of  likenesses, 
or  Portraits,  and  Characters  of  Illustrious  Eeformers, 
published  by  Theodore  Beza,  the  pupil,  friendj  and 
biographer  of  Calvin,  under  the  title  of  "Icones,"  &c.  ; 
which  work  passed  through  several  editions  in  Latin'  and 
French.  The  Characters  of  the  individuals  represented  in 
the  wood  engravings  are  annexed  to  each  portrait,  and  are 
therefore  necessarily  drawn  up  with  great  conciseness,  but 
with  Beza's  usual  ability  and  discrimination. 

ThQfac-simile  in  question  has  been  taken  from  a  very  fresh 
impression  contained  in  a  copy  of  the  French  edition  belonging 
to  the  Secretary,  which  was  formerly  in  the  library  of  the 
Duke  of  Sussex.     The  title-page  is  as  follows  : — 

"Les  Vrais  Povrtraits  des  Hommes  Illvstres  en 
piete  et  doctrine,  dv  trauail  desquels  DIEV  s'est  serui  en 

•^  The  Latin  edition  in  the  Advocates'  Library,  Edinburgh,  is,  "Genevre, 
Apvd  loannem  Laonivm,     m.d.lxxx." 

VOL.  I.  A  * 


18  *  PORTRAIT  OF  CALVIN. 

ces  derniers  temps,  pour  remettre  sus  la  vraye  Religion  en 
(liners  pays  de  la  Chrestiente.  Auec  les  Descriptions  de  leurs 
vie  &  de  leurs  faits  plus  memorables.  Plvs  qvraranteqvatre 
Emblemes  Chrestiens.  Traduicts  du  latin  de  Theodore  de 
Besze.     A  Geneye,  par  lean  de  Laon.     m.d.lxxx." 

Both  the  Latin  and  French  copies  are  dedicated  to  James 
VI.  of  Scotland,  and  have  a  curious  early  portrait  of  that 
King  prefixed.  The  latter  is  addressed,  "  A  tres-illvstre 
Prince,  lacqves  Sixiesme,  par  la  grace  de  Diev  serenissime 
lioy  d'Escosse ;"  and  closes,  "  De  Geneue,  le  premier  iour 
de  Mars,  I'an  cIo.Io.LXXX.  De  vostre  serenissime  &  Eoyale 
Maieste  le  tres-humble  Seruiteur,  Theodore  de  Besze"  Care 
has  been  taken  to  have  this  Jac-simile  carefully  collated  with 
an  impression  in  another  copy  of  the  same  edition,  also 
belonging  to  the  Secretary,  which  was  purchased  by  him  at 
the  sale  of  the  duplicates  of  the  Library  of  the  Faculty  of 
Advocates,  Edinburgh. 

It  has  been  considered  indispensable  that  all  the  facsimiles 
which  accompany  the  Calvin  Translations  shall  be 
executed  with  most  scrupulous  fidelity ;  and  therefore  no 
liberty  is  allowed  the  artists  employed,  in  the  way  of  improving 
the  style  of  the  original  engraving,  or  of  remedying  any  artis- 
tical  defects ;  but  to  present  an  accurate  and  exact  copy, 
line  for  line,  &c.,  precisely  as  in  the  original. 

The  following  graphic  Character  of  Calvin,  by  Beza,  is 
annexed  to  the  Portrait : — 


lEAN  CALVIN  DE  NO  YON  EN  PICARDIE, 

PASTEUR  DE  L'EGLISE  DE  GENEVE. 

[_Par  Theodore  de  Besze.^ 

D'avtant  que  le  tesmolgnage  du  fils  pour  son  pere  ne  pent 
pas  estre  du  tout  hors  de  soup(joni  qu'on  conoisse  done,  6 
Caluin,  par  tes  deportemens,  que  tu  as  este  vn  excellent  in- 
strument en  la  main  de  Dieu  tout  puissant  &  tout  bon,  qui 


PORTRAIT  OF  CALVIN.  *  19 

par  ton  ministere  a  paracheue  la  Restauration  de  la  vraye 
Religion,  heureusement  encoramencee  par  certains  autres 
quelques  annees  auparauant.  Car  c'est  toy  specialement,  a 
la  doctrine,  diligence  &  zele  ardent  duquel  la  France  & 
I'Escosse  se  rendent  redeuables  du  restablissement  du  roy- 
aume  de  Christ  au  milieu  d'elles  :  les  autres  Eglises,  esparses 
en  nombre  infini  par  tout  le  monde,  confessent  t'estre  grande- 
ment  obligees  pour  ce  regard.  De  cela  soyet  tesmoins,  pre- 
mieremet  tes  liures  qui  viuront  a  iamais,  &  que  tons  h5mes 
doctes  &  craignans  Dieu,  reconoissent  estre  dressez  auec  tel 
iugement,  de  si  solide  erudition,  &  d'vn  stile  si  beau,  que 
Ton  ne  sauroit  trouuer  homme  qui  iusques  a  present  ait  ex- 
pose plus  dextreraent  I'Escriture  Saincte :  &  pour  I'autre 
bande  de  tesmoins,  voici  les  furieux  matheologiens  ennemis 
iurez  de  la  verite  de  Dieu,  qui  ont  escume  toute  leur  rage 
contre  toy  deuant  &  apres  ta  mort.  Mais  cependat,  ioui 
aupres  de  lesus  Christ  to  maistre  des  loyers  dont  il  recopense 
ton  fidele  seruice:  &  vous,  Eglises  du  Fils  de  Dieu,  con- 
tinuez  d'aprendre  des  liures  de  ce  grande  docteur,  qui  ayant 
la  bouche  close  ne  laisse  toutesfois  (maugre  I'enuie)  de  vous 
ensigner  encores  auiourd'hui.  Quant  k  vous,  Sophistes, 
monstres  detestables  &  vouez  a  perdition,  en  continuant 
d'abayer  apres  ce  sainct  &  docte  Theologien,  descouurez  de 
plus  en  plus  vostre  sottise  &  meschancete,  afin  que  Ton  vous 
siffle  &  maudie,  en  attendant  que  le  iuste  luge  vieue  pour 
rendre  a  chascun  selon  sel  oeuures.  Au  reste,  Caluin  deuenu 
phtisique,  a  cause  de  ses  vielles  &  abstinences  trop  grandes, 
mourut  a  Geneue  I'an  mil  cinq  cens  soixante  quatre,  le  vingt- 
septiesme  iour  de  May,  estant  en  I'aage  de  cinquate  quatre 
ans,  vingtcinq  desquels  il  auoit  employez  en  la  charge  de 
Pasteur  &  Docteur  de  ceste  Eglise  par  lui  dressee  &  afFermie 
non  sans  grades  difficultez,  &  qu'il  auoit  heureusement 
gouuernee  auec  ses  doctes  compagnons  au  ministere  durant  ce 
teps.  II  fut  enterre  sans  aucun  pompe,  comme  il  en  auoit 
donne  charge  expresse,  &  fut  regrette  comme  pere  de  tous 
ceux  de  Geneue,  &  de  plusieursfidelesespars  en  diuerses  parties 
du  monde.  Entre  les  autres  ie  fus  vn  qui  deploray  son 
trespas  par  vn  epigramme  latin,  qui  a  cste  tourne  en  fran^ois 
comme  s' en  suit. 


20  *  PORTRAIT  OF  CALVIN. 

JOHN     CALVIN,     or    NOYON    IN    PICARDY, 
THE  PASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  GENEVA. 

\By  Theodore  Beza.^ 

As  the  testimony  of  a  son  respecting  his  own  father  cannot 
be  altogether  free  from  suspicion,  let  all  then  know,  by  what 
thou  hast  done,  O  Calvin,  that  thou  hast  been  a  remarkable 
instrument  in  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  and  all-gracious 
God,  who  has  by  thy  ministry  completed  the  E-estoi'ation  of 
true  Religion,  happily  commenced  by  others  some  years 
before.  For  to  thee  this  especially  belongs — to  thy  doctrine, 
diligence,  and  ardent  zeal ;  to  which  France  and  Scotland 
are  indebted  for  the  re-establishment  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  among  them  ;  other  Churches,  scattered  in  great 
number  through  the  whole  world,  acknowledge  themselves  to 
be  also  in  this  respect  under  great  obligations  to  thee. 

Of  this  let  these  be  the  Avitnesses — first,  thy  writings, 
which  shall  ever  live  ;  and  all  men,  Avho  are  learned  and  fear 
God,  confess  them  to  have  been  prepared  with  judgment  so  re- 
markable, with  erudition  so  solid,  and  in  a  style  so  beautiful,  that 
no  one  has  been  hitherto  found,  who  hath  with  so  much  skill 
expounded  the  Holy  Scripture.  And  there  is  another  band 
of  witnesses — the  furious  matheologians,  (men  of  science,) 
the  sworn  enemies  of  God's  truth,  who  have  poured  the  scum 
of  their  rage  upon  thee  before  and  after  thy  death.  But  thou 
however  enjoy  est,  near  thy  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  the  reward 
with  which  he  recompenses  thy  faithful  services.  And  ye, 
Churches  of  the  Son  of  God,  continue  to  peruse  the  works 
of  this  great  Teacher;  who,  though  he  speaks  no  longer, 
has  left  what,  in  spite  of  envy,  you  may  every  day  learn. 

As  to  you,  Sophists,  hateful  monsters  and  doomed  to  per- 
dition, what  you  do  by  continuing  to  depreciate  this  holy  and 
learned  Theologian,  is  to  discover  more  and  more  your 
infatuation  and  wickedness,  to  the  end  that  3'^ou  may  be  con- 
demned and  accursed,  when  the  righteous  Judge  shall  come 
to  give  to  every  one  according  to  his  Avoiks. 


PORTRAIT  or  CALVIN.  *  21 

It  may  be  added,  that  Calvin,  having  become  consump- 
tive through  excessive  study  and  abstinence,  died  at  Geneva 
in  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty-four,  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  day  of  May,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  ;  twenty-five  of 
which  he  had  been  employed  in  the  charge  of  a  Pastor  and 
Teacher  to  that  Church,  which  had  been  built  up  and  estab- 
lished by  him  with  no  small  difficulties,  and  which  he  had 
happily  governed  in  connection  with  other  learned  fellow- 
labourers  in  the  ministry  during  that  time. 

He  was  interred  without  any  pomp,  according  to  the 
express  charge  which  he  had  given  ;  and  his  loss  was  lamented 
as  that  of  a  father  by  all  at  Geneva,  and  by  many  of  the 
faithful,  dispersed  in  different  parts  of  the  w^orld.  Among 
others,  I  was  one  who  expressed  my  feelings  on  his  death  in 
a  Latin  Epigram,  which  has  been  translated  into  French, 
as  follows  : — 


EPIGRAM  BY  BEZA  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  CALVIN, 

TRANSLATED  INTO  FRENCH. 

POVRQVOY  dans  vne  fosse  obscure  Sf  incomie 
Est  la  chair  de  Caliiin  par  la  mort  detenue  ? 
De  ce  docte  Caluin,  tant  8^'  tant  redoute 
De  Rome  ruineiise  S^  de  la  Papaute 
Duquel  les  gens  de  Men  desirent  la  presence, 
Et  de  qui  les  meschans  craignent  mesmes  V absence  : 
De  qui  vertu  pouuoit  (tant  il  estoit  vestu 
Et  orne  de  grands  dons)  aprendre  la  vertu. 

En  V admirable  cours  de  son  heureuse  vie 
Pour  compagne  ordinaire  il  cut  la  modestie : 
Elle  enterra  Caluin  de  ses  deux  propres  mains. 

O  moncelet  poudreux,  que  ton  hoste  fhonore ! 
QuHl  y  a  de  tombeaux  ore  entre  les  humains 
laloux  &f  desireux  de  Theur  qui  te  decore  ! 


22  *  PORTRAIT  OF  CALVIN. 


beza's  original  epigram. 

RoM^  ruentis  terror  ille  maximus, 

Quem  mortuura  lugent  boni,  horrescunt  mali, 

Ipsa  a  quo  potuit  virtutem  discere  virtus, 

Cur  ad^o  exiguo  ignotoque  in  cespite  clausus 

Caluinus  Ijeteat,  rogas  ? 

Caluinum  assidufe  comitata  modestia  viuum, 

Hoc  tumulo  manibus  condidit  ipsa  suis. 

O  te  beatum  cespitem  tanto  hospite  ! 

O  cui  inuidere  cuncta  possine  marmora ! 

THE  SAME  IN  ENGLISH. 

Rome's  greatest  terror  he,  whom  now  being  dead 
The  best  of  men  lament,  the  wicked  dread  : 
Virtue  itself  from  him  might  virtue  learn  ; — 
And  dost  thou  ask  why  Calvin  did  not  earn 
A  place  more  splendid  for  his  last  repose, 
Than  that  small  spot  which  does  his  bones  inclose  ? 
But  know,  that  modesty  even  from  the  womb 
Had  been  his  guest, — and  she  has  built  his  tomb. 
O  happy  clod  !  thy  tenant,  great  was  he  ; 
The  gorgeous  shrines  may  justly  envy  thee. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


JOHN  CALYTX 

TO  THE  MOST  SERENE  AND  MOST  MIGHTY 

KING  GUSTAVUS,! 

THE   KING  OF  THE   GOTHS   AND  VANDALS. 


What  I  once  said,  most  excellent  king,  when  the  Anno- 
tations ON  HosEA,  taken  from  my  Lectures,  were  pub- 
lished, I  now  again  repeat, — that  I  was  not  the  author  of  that 
edition  :  for  I  am  one  who  is  not  easily  pleased  with  works 
I  finish  with  more  labour  and  care.  Had  it  been  in  my 
power,  I  should  have  rather  tried  to  prevent  the  wider  circu- 
lation of  that  extemporaneous  kind  of  teaching,  intended  for 
the  particular  benefit  of  my  auditory,  and  with  which  bene- 
fit I  was  abundantly  satisfied. 

But  since  that  specimen,  (the  Commentary  on  Hosea,) 
published  with  better  success  than  I  expected,  has  kindled  a 
desire  in  many  to  see  that  one  Prophet  followed  by  the  other 

1  GusTAVUS  was  the  King  of  Sweden,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
were  then  called  Goths  and  Vandals.  He  was  the  first  king  of  that 
name  in  Sweden,  and  had  the  surname  of  Vasa.  He  was  bom  in  1490, 
and  was  a  descendant  of  the  royal  family  of  Sweden.  He  delivered  the 
kingdom  from  the  attempted  nsm-pation  of  Christian  11.  of  Denmark, 
was  made  king  in  1523,  abolished  Popery,  and  introduced  Lutheranism 
in  1530,  and  died,  at  the  age  of  seventy,  in  1560,  the  year  following  the 
date  of  this  Epistle. — Ed. 

VOL.  I.  B 


xviii  Calvin's  epistle. 

eleven  Minor  Prophets,  I  thought  it  not  unseasonable  to 
dedicate  to  your  Majesty  a  work  of  suitable  extent,  and  re- 
plete with  important  instructions,  not  only  that  it  may  be  a 
pledge  of  my  high  regards,  but  also  that  the  dedication  to  so 
celebrated  a  name,  might  procure  for  it  some  favour.  It  is 
not,  however,  ambition  that  has  led  me  to  do  this,  for  I  have 
long  ago  learned  not  to  court  the  applause  of  the  world,  and 
have  become  hardened  to  the  ingratitude  of  the  many ;  but 
I  wished  that  some  fruit  might  come  to  men  of  your  station 
from  the  recesses  of  our  mountains  ;  and  it  has  also  been  my 
legitimate  endeavour,  that  many  to  whom  I  am  unknown, 
being  influenced  by  the  sacred  sanction  of  their  king,  might 
be  made  more  impartial,  and  come  better  prepared  to  read 
the  work. 

And  this,  I  promise  to  myself,  will  be  the  case,  as  you  en- 
joy so  much  veneration  among  all  your  subjects,  provided 
you  condescend  to  interpose  your  judgment,  such  as  your 
singular  wisdom  may  dictate ;  or,  as  age  may  possibly  not 
bear  the  fatigue  of  reading,  such  as  your  Majesty's  eldest 
son  Heric,  the  heir  to  the  throne,  may  suggest,  whom  you 
have  taken  care  to  be  so  instructed  in  the  liberal  sciences, 
that  this  office  may  be  safely  intrusted  to  him.  And  that  I 
might  have  less  doubt  of  your  kindness,  there  are  many 
heralds  of  your  virtues,  and  even  some  judicious  and  wise 
men,  who  are  entitled  to  be  deemed  competent  witnesses. 
It  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  wondered,  most  noble  king,  that  a 
present  from  so  distant  a  region  should  be  offered  to  your 
Majesty  by  a  man  as  yet  unknown  to  you,  who,  on  account 
of  the  excellent  and  heroic  endowments  of  mind  and  heart 
in  which  he  has  understood  you  to  excel,  thinks  himself  to 
be  especially  attached  to  you. 

But  though  the  excellency  of  the  Book  may  not,  perhaps, 
be  such  as  will  procure  much  favour  to  myself,  you  will  not 
yet  despise  the  desire  by  which  I  have  been  led  to  manifest 
the  high  regards  I  entertain  towards  your  Majesty,  nor  will 
you  yet  find  this  present  now  offered  to  you  wholly  unworthy, 
however  much  it  may  be  below  the  elevated  station  of  so 
great  a  king.  If  God  has  endued  me  with  any  aptness  for 
the  interpretation  of  Scripture,  I  am  fully  persuaded  that  I 


Calvin's  epistle.  xIx 

have  faithfully  and  carefully  endeavoured  to  exclude  from  it 
'  all  barren  refinements,  however  plausible  and  fitted  to  please 
the  ear,  and  to  preserve  genuine  simplicity,  adapted  solidly 
to  edify  the  children  of  God,  who,  being  not  content  with 
the  shell,  wish  to  penetrate  to  the  kernel.  What  I  have 
really  done  it  is  not  for  me  to  say,  except  that  pious  and 
learned  men  persuade  me  that  I  have  not  laboured  without 
success.  But  these  Commentaries  may  not,  perhaps,  answer 
the  wishes  and  expectations  of  all ;  and  I  myself  could  have 
wished  that  I  had  been  able  to  give  something  more  excel- 
lent and  more  perfect,  or  at  least  what  would  have  come 
nearer  to  the  Prophetic  Spirit.  But  this,  I  trust,  will  be  the 
issue, — that  experience  will  prove  to  upright  and  impartial 
readers,  and  those  endued  Avith  sound  judgment,  provided 
they  read  with  well-disposed  minds,  and  not  fastidiously, 
what  I  have  written  for  their  benefit,  that  more  light  has 
been  thrown  on  the  Twelve  Prophets  than  modesty  will  allow 
me  to  affirm. 

With  the  industry  of  others  I  compare  not  my  own,  (which 
would  be  unbecoming,)  nor  do  I  ask  any  thing  else,  but  that 
intelligent  and  discreet  Readers,  profiting  by  my  labours, 
should  study  to  be  of  more  extensive  advantage  to  the  public 
good  of  the  Church  ;  but  as  it  has  not  been  my  care,  nor 
even  my  desire,  to  adorn  this  Book  with  various  attractives, 
this  admonition  is  not  unseasonable  ;  for  it  may  invite  the 
more  slothful  to  read,  until,  by  making  a  trial,  they  may  be 
able  to  judge  whether  it  may  be  useful  for  them  to  proceed 
farther  in  their  course  of  reading.     Indeed,  the  fruit  which 
my  other  attempts  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture  have 
produced,  and  the  hope  which  I  entertain  of  the  usefulness 
of  this,  please  me  so  much,  that  1  desire  to  spend  the  remain- 
der of  my  life  in  this  kind  of  laboui',  as  far  as  my  continued 
and  multiplied  employments  will  allow  me.    For  what  may  be 
expected  from  a  man  at  leisure  cannot  be  expected  from  me, 
who,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  office  of  a  pastor,  have  other 
duties,  which  hardly  allow  me  the  least  relaxation  :  I  shall 
not,  however,  deem  my  spare  time  in  any  other  way  better 
employed. 

I  now  return  again  to  you,  most  valiant  king.     lie  who 


XX  Calvin's  epistle. 

knows  your  prudence  and  equity  in  managing  public  affairs, 
your  moral  habits,  your  whole  character  and  virtues,  will  not 
wonder  that  I  have  resolved  to  dedicate  to  you  this  work. 
But  as  it  is  not  my  design  to  write  a  long  eulogy  on  what  is 
praiseworthy  in  you,  I  shall  only  briefly  touch  on  what  is 
well  known,  both  by  report  and  public  writings : — God  tried 
you  in  a  wonderful  manner  before  he  raised  you  to  the  throne, 
for  the  purpose  not  only  of  exhibiting  in  you  a  singular  proof 
of  his  providence,  but  also  of  setting  forth  to  our  age  as  well 
as  to  posterity,  an  illustrious  example  of  a  steady  perseverance 
in  a  right  course.  You  have,  doubtless,  been  thus  proved  by 
both  fortunes,  that  there  might  not  be  wanting  a  due  trial  of 
your  temperance  and  moderation  in  prosperity,  and  of  your 
patience  in  adversity,  until  it  was  given  you  from  above  to 
emerge  at  length,  no  less  happily  than  in  a  praiseworthy 
manner,  from  so  many  dangers,  perils,  difficulties,  and  hin- 
derances,  that  having  set  the  kingdom  in  order,  you  might 
publicly  and  privately  enjoy  a  cheerful  tranquillity.  And 
now,  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  all  orders,  you  bear  a  bur- 
den more  splendid  and  honourable  to  you  than  grievous,  for 
all  venerate  your  authority,  and  show  their  esteem  by  love 
as  well  as  by  commendations. 

In  addition  to  these  benefits  of  God  comes  this,  the  chief, 
which  must  not  be  omitted, — that  your  eldest  son,  Heric,  a 
successor  chosen  by  you  from  yom'  own  blood,  is  not  only  of 
a  generous  disposition,  but  also  adorned  with  mature  virtues ; 
and  hardly  any  one  more  fit,  had  you  no  children,  could  the 
people  have  chosen  for  themselves.  And  this,  among  other 
things,  is  his  rare  commendation,  that  he  has  made  so  much 
progress  in  the  liberal  sciences,  that  he  occupies  a  high  sta- 
tion among  the  learned,  and  that  he  is  not  tired  with  diligent 
application  to  them,  as  far  as  he  is  allowed  by  those  many 
cares  and  distractions  in  which  the  royal  dignity  is  involved. 
At  the  same  time,  the  principal  thing  with  me  is  this,  that 
he  hath  consecrated  in  his  palace  a  sanctuary,  not  only  to  the 
heathen  muses,  but  also  to  celestial  philosophy.  The  more 
confidence  therefore  I  have,  that  some  place  will  be  there 
found,  and  some  favour  shown  to  these  Commentaries,  which 
he  will  find  to  have  been  written  according  to  the  rule  of 


CALVIN'S  EPISTLE.  Xxi 

true  religion,  and  will  perceive  calculated  to  be  of  some  small 
help  to  himself. 

May  God,  O  most  serene  king !  keep  your  Majesty  long 
in  prosperity,  and  continue  to  enrich  you  with  all  kinds  of 
blessings.  May  He  guide  you  by  his  Spirit,  until,  having 
finished  your  course,  and  migrating  from  earth  to  the  celes- 
tial kingdom,  you  may  leave  alive  behind  you  the  most 
serene  king  Heric,  your  successor,  and  his  most  illustrious 
brothers,  John  Magnus  and  Charles  :  and  may  the  same 
grace  of  God,  after  your  death,  appear  eminent  in  them, 
as  well  as  fraternal  and  unanimous  concord. 

Geneva,  January  2'o^  1559. 


JOHN  CALYIN 

TO  THE  CHRISTIAN  READER,  HEALTH. 


Since  I  can  truly  and  justly  say,  and  prove  by  competent 
•witnesses,   that    the    writings,  which  I  have  hitherto    sent 
forth  to  the  public,  and  which  might  have  been  finished  with 
more  care  and  attention,  have  been  almost  extorted  from  me 
by  importunity,  it  is  evident  that  these  Annotations,  which 
I  thought  might  bear  a  hearing,  but  were  unworthy  of  being 
read,  would  have  never  through  me  been  brought  forth  to 
the  light.     For  if,   by  many  watchings,  I  can  hardly  suc- 
ceed in  rendering  even  a  small  benefit  to  the  Church  by  my 
meditations,  how  foolish  were  it  in  me  to  claim  a  place  for 
my  sermons  among  the  works  which  are  published  ?  Besides, 
if,  with  regard  to  those  compositions  which  I  write  or  dictate 
privately  at  home,  when  there  is  more  leisure  for  meditation, 
and  when  a  finished  brevity  is   attained  by  care  and  dili- 
gence, my  industry  is  yet  made  a  crime  by  the  malignant  and 
the  envious,  how  can  I  escape  the  charge  of  presumption,  if  I 
now  force  upon  the  whole  world  the  reading  of  those  thoughts 
which  I  freely  poured  forth  for  the  present  edification  of  my 
hearers  ?     But  since  to  suppress  them  was  not  in  my  power, 
and  their  publication  could  not  be   otherwise  prevented  by 
me    than   by  undertaking  the   labour    (which  my  circum- 
stances allowed  not)  of  writing  the  Avhole  anew,  and  many 
friends,  thinking  me  to  be  too  scrupulous  a  judge  of  my  own 
labours,  cried  out,  that  I  was  doing  an  injury  to  the  Church, 
I  chose  to  allow  this  volume,  as  it  is,  taken  from  my  lips, 
to  go  forth  to  the  public,  rather  than  by  prohibition  to  im- 
pose  on   myself  the   necessity   of  writing ;    which   I   was 


CALVIN  TO  THE  READER.  XXIU 

forced  to  do  as  to  The  Psalms,  before  I  found  out,  by  that 
long  and  difficult  work,  how  unequal  I  am  to  so  much 
writing.^ 

Let,  then,  these  explanations  on  Hosea  go  forth,  which  it 
is  not  in  my  power  to  keep  from  the  public.  But  how  they 
have  been  taken  down,  it  is  needful  to  declare,  not  only  that 
the  diligence,  industry,  and  skill  of  those  who  have  per- 
formed this  labour  for  the  Church,  may  not  be  deprived  of 
their  commendation,  but  also  that  readers  may  be  fully  per- 
suaded, that  there  are  here  no  additions,  and  that  the  writers 
did  not  allow  themselves  to  change  a  single  word  for  a  better 
one.  How  they  assisted  one  another,  one  of  their  number, 
my  best  friend,  and  through  his  virtues,  dear  to  all  good  men, 
Mr  John  Budieus,  will,  as  I  expect,  more  fully  explain. 

But  it  would  have  been  incredible  to  me,  had  I  not  clearly 
seen,  when  the  day  after  they  read  the  whole  to  me,  that 
what  they  had  written  differed  nothing  from  my  discourse. 
It  would  have  perhaps  been  better  had  more  liberty  been 
taken  to  cut  off  redundancies,  to  bring  the  arrangement 
into  better  order,  and  to  use,  in  some  instances,  more  distinct 
or  graceful  language  :  but  I  do  not  interpose  my  judgment ; 
this  only  I  wish  to  witness  with  my  own  hand.  That  they 
have  taken  down  what  they  have  heard  from  my  lips  with 
so  much  fidelity,  that  I  perceive  no  change.  Farewell, 
Christian  reader,  whoever  thou  be,  Avho  desirest  with  me  to 
make  progress  in  celestial  truth. 

Geneva,  February  13,  1557. 


^  He  was  at  this  time  engaged  in  writing  his  Comments  on  The 
Psalms  ;  and  they  were  published  the  following  July. — Ed. 


JOHN  BUDiEUS 

TO  CHRISTIAN  READERS,  HEALTH. 


When  some  years  ago  the  most  learned  John  Calyin,  at 
the  request  and  entreaty  of  his  friends,  undertook  to  explain 
in  the  School  the  Psalms  of  David,  some  of  us,  his  hearers, 
took  notes  from  the  beginning  of  a  few  things  in  our  own 
way,  for  our  own  private  meditation,  according  to  our  own 
judgment  and  discretion.  But  being  at  length  admonished 
by  our  own  experience,  we  began  to  think  how  great  a  loss 
would  it  be  to  many,  and  almost  to  the  whole  Church,  that 
the  benefit  of  such  Lectures  should  be  confined  to  a  few 
hearers.  Having  therefore  gathered  courage,  we  fully  thought 
that  it  was  our  duty  to  unite  a  care  and  concern  for  the 
public  with  our  own  private  benefit,  and  this  seemed  possi- 
ble, if,  instead  of  following  our  usual  practice,  we  tried,  as 
far  as  we  could,  to  take  down  the  Lectures  word  for  word. 
Without  delay  I  joined  myself  as  the  thii-d  to  two  zealous 
brethren  in  this  undertaking ;  and  it  so  happened,  through 
God's  kindness,  that  a  happy  issue  was  not  wholly  wanting 
to  our  attempt :  for  when  the  labours  of  each  of  us  were  com- 
pared together,  and  the  Lectures  were  immediately  written 
out,  we  found  that  so  few  things  had  escaped  us,  that  the 
gaps  could  easily  be  made  up.  And  that  this  was  the  case 
as  to  the  work  in  which  was  made  the  first  trial  of  our  capa- 
cities, Calvin  himself  is  a  witness  to  us  ;  and  that  this  has 
been  far  more  fully  the  case  with  respect  to  the  Lectures  on 
Hosea,  (as  by  long  use  and  exercise  we  became  moi'e  skilful,) 
even  all  the  hearers  will  readily  acknowledge. 

But  the  design  on  this  occasion  was  to  induce  him,  if  pos- 
sible, to  publish  complete  Commentaries  on  this  Author ;  but 


BUD^US  TO  THE  READER.  XXV 

it  then  happened  to  us  otherwise  than  we  expected  :  for  all 
hope  of  obtaining  this  object  he  cut  off  from  us  from  rever- 
ence to  BuCER,  who,  in  this  case,  as  well  as  in  all  other  things, 
had  performed  most  faithful  and  most  useful  services,  as  the 
whole  Church  acknowledges,  and  as  Calvin  in  particular  has 
at  all  times  most  honourably  declared  to  us  and  to  all.  It 
therefore  remained  that  the  Lectures,  as  taken  down  by  us, 
should  be  published.  And  as  all  the  most  pious  promised  to 
themselves  great  benefit  from  our  labour,  we  daily  increased 
our  exertions,  that  such  a  hope  might  not  pass  away  into 
smoke.  Being  therefore  stirred  on  by  these  desires,  as  well, 
doubtless,  as  by  the  prospect  of  benefiting  the  godly,  we 
exerted  ourselves  so  much,  that  all  readily  allowed  that  we 
exercised  nothing  short  of  the  greatest  diligence.  The  more 
wonderful  it  may  seem,  that  he  was  afterwards  induced  to 
change  his  mind,  so  as  to  frustrate  our  hope  and  that  of  many 
of  the  godly  ;  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  constrained, 
however  anxious  to  perform  a  most  useful  service  to  the 
Church,  to  incur  the  great  envy  and  implacable  hatred  of 
many.  But  those  who  plead  only  the  authority  of  Bucer  in 
this  affair  are  moved,  I  willingly  acknowledge,  by  a  reason 
not  altogether  unjust ;  yet  they  will  seem  to  me  too  stiff"  and 
unbending,  if  they  will  not  suffer  themselves  to  be  influenced 
by  sufficient  excuses,  which  I  hope  will  be  the  case  before 
long.  But  as  to  those  who  are  carried  away  by  the  insane 
love  of  evil-speaking,  and  avail  themselves  of  the  least  oppor- 
tunity of  strife,  as  they  ought  to  be  disregarded  and  detested 
as  monsters  by  all  the  godly,  so  it  is  not  needful  to  labour 
much  to  satisfy  them,  for  the  barking  of  dogs,  provided  it 
hurt  not  the  Church,  may  without  great  danger  be  passed  by 
and  despised. 

We  have,  indeed,  prefaced  these  things  for  the  sake  of 
those  who  have  very  often  solicited  us  respecting  the 
Lectures  on  the  Psalms,  that  they  may  not  think  them- 
selves to  have  been  deceived  by  us  with  a  vain  expectation  ; 
for,  let  them  know,  that  they  shall  sometimes  have,  through 
God's  favour,  correct  and  complete  Commentaries  on  The  Book 
of  Psalms.  But  if  this  long  desire  does  much  distress  them,  let 
them  remember  that  we  also  no  less  anxiously  look  for  that 


XXVI  BUD.EUS  TO  THE  READER. 

great  treasure.  But  it  is  right  that  we  both  should  pardon 
a  man  who  has  constant  and  most  burdensome  occupations, 
and  somewhat  moderate  our  too  prurient  and  premature 
wishes  :  and  to  indulge  him  seems  right  even  on  this  one 
account,  that  he,  the  least  of  all,  indulges  himself,  never 
taking  any  rest  or  relaxation  of  mind  from  his  vast  labours, 
so  that  it  is  a  matter  of  doubt  to  none  but  that  he  drags  a 
little  body,  not  only  through  the  divine  kindness,  but  by  a 
singular  miracle,  which  cannot  be  told  to  posterity, — a  body, 
by  nature  weak,  violently  attacked  by  frequent  diseases,  and 
then  exhausted  by  immense  labours  ;  and,  lastly,  pierced  by 
the  unceasing  stings  of  the  ungodly,  and  on  all  sides  distressed 
and  tormented  by  all  kinds  of  reproaches. 

But  as  this  is  not  the  place  for  making  complaints,  I  now 
come  to  you.  Christian  Readers,  to  whom  it  is  our  purpose 
to  dedicate  this  work,  the  Lectures  on  the  Prophet 
HoSEA  ;  and  we  dedicate  it,  not  that  we  claim  any  thing  as 
our  own,  except  the  diligence  we  employed  in  collecting  it : 
but  we  hesitate  not  to  make  it,  as  it  were,  our  own,  for  it 
would  have  never  come  to  you  except  through  our  assistance. 
For  though  we  judged  the  work  altogether  excellent,  which 
is  now  offered  to  the  Church,  yet  we  could  hardly  at  last 
convince  the  author  of  this ;  and  he  suffered  himself  to  be 
overcome  by  our  importunate  entreaties  only  on  this  con- 
dition, that  we  were  to  be  accountable  for  whatever  judgment 
good  men  might  form  of  the  work :  so  unfit  a  judge  he  is  of 
his  own  productions.  But  we,  though  he  may  modestly 
extenuate  them  more  than  what  is  right,  yet  dare  to  promise 
to  ourselves,  that  not  only  the  author's  labour  will  be  duly 
appreciated  by  you,  but  that  we  shall  also  secure  to  ourselves 
no  common  favour. 

These  Lectures,  we  trust,  Avill  not  be  less  acceptable  to 
you,  because  the  author,  regarding  the  benefit  of  the  school, 
(as  it  was  right,)  in  some  degree  departed  from  the  usual 
elegance  of  all  his  other  works,  and  from  embellishment  of 
style.  For,  being  oppressed  with  a  vast  quantity  of  business, 
he  was  constrained  to  leave  home,  after  having  had  hardly,  for 
the  most  part,  half  an  hour  to  meditate  on  these  Lectures  : 
he  preferred  to  advance  the  edification  and  benefit  of  his 


BUDiEUS  TO  THE  READER.  XXVH 

hearers  by  eliciting  the  true  sense  and  making  it  plain,  rather 
than  by  vain  pomp  of  words  to  delight  their  ears,  or  to  regard 
ostentation  and  his  own  glory.  I  would  not,  at  the  same 
time,  deny,  but  that  these  Lectures  were  delivered  more  in 
the  scholastic  than  in  the  oratorical  style.  If,  however,  this 
simple,  though  not  rude,  mode  of  speaking  should  offend  any 
one,  let  him  have  recourse  to  the  works  of  others,  or  of  this 
author  himself,  especially  those  in  which,  being  freed  from 
the  laws  of  the  school,  he  appears  no  less  the  orator  than  the 
illustrious  theologian  :  and  this  we  declare  wdthout  hesita- 
tion, and  with  no  less  modesty  than  with  the  full  consent  and 
approbation  of  the  best  and  the  most  learned. 

We  do  not  indeed  thus  speak  as  if  we  would,  by  a  censor- 
ious superciliousness,  claim  for  him  alone  the  glory  of  an 
orator,  or  would  not,  by  calling  him  a  theologian,  acknow- 
ledge many  others  as  celebrated  men.  Far  from  us  be  such 
a  folly.  But  an  occasion  such  as  this  being  offered  of  testi- 
fying our  mind,  we  could  hardly,  even  in  any  other  way, 
excuse  our  neglect  to  the  godly,  to  Avhom  it  is  well  known, 
that  our  silence  concerning  Calvin  has  not  hitherto  well 
pleased  turbulent  men ;  who  are  more  willing  to  have  their 
vanity  expressly  reprobated  by  us,  than  to  suffer  us  by  a  tacit 
consent  and  modest  silence  either  to  approve  of  his  doctrine, 
and  to  acknowledge  in  him  an  evidence,  the  most  clear,  of 
God's  kindness  towards  us,  or  to  cover  by  a  fraternal  dis- 
simulation their  madness  ;  and  thus  each  of  us  would  have 
to  mourn  by  himself  in  silence. 

But,  as  I  have  said,  the  language  here  is  unadorned  and 
simple,  very  like  that  which  we  know  was  ever  wont  to  be 
used  formerly  in  Lectures  :  not  such  as  many  of  whom  we 
have  heard  employ,  who  repeat  to  their  hearers  from  a 
written  paper  what  had  been  previously  prepared  at  home  ; 
but  such  as  could  be  formed  and  framed  at  the  time,  more 
adapted  to  teach  and  edify  than  to  please  the  ear.  Except, 
then,  we  are  greatly  mistaken,  he  so  expresses  almost  to  the 
life  the  mind  of  the  Prophet,  that  no  addition  seems  possible. 
For,  after  having  carefully  examined  every  sentence,  he  then 
briefly  shows  the  use  and  application  of  the  doctrine,  so  that 
no  one,  however  ignorant,  can  mistake  the  meaning  :  in  short. 


XXVlll  BUD^US  TO  THE  KEADER. 

he  80  unfolds  and  opens  the  subjects  and  fountains  of  true 
theology,  that  it  is  easy  for  any  one  to  draw  from  them  what  is 
needful  to  restore  and  refresh  the  soul ;  yea,  the  ministers  of 
the  word  may  hence  advantageously  derive  ample  streams, 
with  which,  as  by  a  celestial  dew,  they  may  abundantly  refresh 
the  people  of  God,  whether  by  exhortation,  or  consolation, 
or  reproof,  or  edification.  And  of  these  things  we  clearly  see 
some  instances  and  examples  in  all  his  discourses,  especially 
in  those  in  which  he  so  accommodates  the  doctrine  of  the 
Prophets  to  our  own  times,  that  it  seems  to  suit  their  age 
no  better  than  ours. 

But  that  we  may  at  length  make  an  end,  it  remains. 
Christian  Readers,  that  we  receive  and  embrace  with  suit- 
able gratitude  all  the  other  inummerable  gifts  of  God  which 
he  daily  pours  on  us  in  great  abundance,  as  well  as  this  in- 
comparable treasure  of  his  goodness,  and  employ  them  for 
the  purpose  of  leading  a  holy  and  godly  life  to  the  glory  of 
his  name,  and  to  the  edification  of  our  brethren  :  and  that 
this  may  be  done,  Ave  must  pray  for  the  Spirit  of  God,  that 
we  may  come  to  the  reading  of  Scripture  instructed  by  him, 
and  bring  a  mind  purified  from  the  defilements  of  the  flesh, 
and  a  meek  spirit  capable  of  receiving  celestial  truth.  And  for 
this  end  much  help  may  be  given  us  by  the  short  prayers  which 
we  have  taken  care  to  add  at  the  close  of  every  Lecture,  as 
gathered  by  us  with  the  same  care  and  fidelity  as  the  Lec- 
tures were:  the  minds  of  the  pious  may  by  these  be  refreshed, 
and  may  collect  new  vigour  for  the  next  Lecture ;  and  the 
ignorant  may  also  have  in  these  a  pattern,  as  it  were,  painted 
before  them,  by  which  they  may  form  their  prayers  from  the 
words  of  Scripture.  For  as  at  the  beginning  of  the  Lec- 
tures he  ever  used  the  same  form  of  prayer,  which  we  intend 
also  to  add,  that  his  manner  of  teaching  may  be  fully  known 
to  you ;  so  he  was  wont  ever  to  finish  every  Lecture  by  a 
new  prayer  formed  at  the  time,  as  given  him  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  accommodated  to  the  subject  of  the  Lecture. 

If  we  shall  understand  that  these  Commentaries  will  be 
acceptable  to  you,  though  the  work  is  the  fruit  of  another's 
labour,  we  shall  yet  engage,  God  favouring  us,  to  do  the 
same  as  to  the  remaining  Prophets.     When  he  shall  under- 


BUD^US  TO  THE  EEADEE.  XXIX 

take  to  lecture  on  them,  it  is  our  purpose  to  follow  him  with 
no  less  diligence,  and  take  down  what  remains  to  the  end.  In 
the  meantime,  enjoy  these.     Farewell. 

Geneva,  February  14,  1557. 


JOHN  CRISPIN 

TO  CHRISTIAN  READERS,  HEALTH. 


As  it  may  seem  wonderful  to  some,  and  indeed  incredible, 
that  these  Lectures  were  taken  down  with  such  fidelity  and 
care,  that  Mr  John  Calvin  uttered  not  a  word  in  delivering 
them,  which  was  not  immediately  written  down  ;  it  may  be 
needful  here  shortly  to  remind  pious  readers  of  the  plan  they 
pursued  who  have  transmitted  them  to  us.  And  this  is  done, 
that  their  singular  diligence  and  industry  may  stimulate  others 
to  do  the  same,  and  that  the  thing  itself  may  not  appear  in- 
credible. 

And,  first,  it  must  be  remembered,  that  Calvin  himself 
never  dictated,  as  many  do,  any  of  his  Lectures,  nor  gave 
any  orders  that  any  thing  should  be  noted  down  while  he  was 
interpreting  Scripture,  much  less  after  finishing  the  Lecture, 
or  on  the  day  after  its  delivery  ;  but  he  occupied  a  whole 
hour  in  speaking,  and  was  not  wont  to  write  in  his  book  a 
single  word  to  assist  his  memory.  When,  therefore,  some 
years  ago,  Mr  John  Bud^us  and  Charles  Jonvill,  with 
two  other  brethren,  (whom  Bud^us  himself  mentions  in  his 
preface,  and  that  so  it  was  many  know,)  found,  in  writing  out 
THE  Exposition  on  the  Psalms,  that  their  common  labour 
would  not  be  wholly  in  vain,  they  were  impelled  by  a  stronger 
desire  and  alacrity  of  mind,  so  that  they  resolved  to  take 
doAvn,  with  more  diligence  than  before,  if  possible,  the  whole 
exposition  on  whatare  called  THE  Twelve  Minor  Prophets. 
And,  in  copying,  they  followed  this  plan.  Each  had  his  paper 
prepared  in  a  form  the  most  convenient,  and  each  took  down 
by  himself  with  the  greatest  speed.  If  a  word  had  escaped 
one,  (which  sometimes  happened,  particularly  on  points  of 
dispute  and  in  those  parts  which  were  delivered  with  some 


CRISPIN  TO  THE  READER.  XXXI 

warmth,)  It  was  taken  up  by  another ;  and  when  It  so  hap- 
pened, it  was  easily  set  down  again  by  the  writer.  Irumediately 
at  the  close  of  the  Lecture,  Jonvill  took  with  him  the  papers 
of  the  other  two,  placing  them  before  him,  and  consulting 
his  own,  and  collating  them  together,  he  dictated  to  some 
other  person  for  the  purpose  of  copying  what  they  had  hastily 
taken  down.  At  last  he  read  the  whole  over  himself,  that  he 
might  be  able  to  recite  it  the  following  day  before  Mr  Calvin 
at  home.  When  sometimes  any  little  word  was  wanting,  it 
was  added  in  its  place ;  or,  if  any  thing  seemed  not  suffi- 
ciently explained,  it  was  readily  made  plainer. 

Thus  it  happened  that  these  Lectures  came  forth  to  the 
light ;  and  what  great  benefit  they  will  derive  from  them,  who 
will  seriously  read  them,  can  by  no  means  be  told  :  for  who, 
endued  with  a  sound  judgment,  does  not  see  that  such  was 
the  Avay  which  this  most  illustrious  man  possessed  in  explain- 
ing Scripture,  that  he  had  it  in  common  with  very  few  ?  He 
everywhere  so  unfolds  the  design  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  gives 
his  genuine  meaning,  and  also  so  sets  before  our  eyes  every 
recondite  doctrine,  that  you  find  nothing  but  what  is  openly 
explained ;  and  this  is  what  his  many  writings  most  abun- 
dantly testify,  in  which  he  has  made  every  point  of  the 
Christian  religion  so  plain,  that  all,  except  they  be  wholly 
blind  to  the  sun,  acknowledge  him  to  be  a  most  faithful  in- 
terpreter. 

But  that  I  may  now  say  nothing  of  his  many  Commentaries, 
he  has  so  surpassed  himself  in  these  Lectures,  that  one  can 
hardly  persuade  himself  that  a  style  so  elegant,  and  so  per- 
fect in  all  its  parts,  could  have  flowed  extemporaneously, 
for  he  explains  the  weightiest  sentiments  in  suitable  words, 
clearly  handles  obscure  things,  clothes  them  with  various 
ornaments,  and  so  proceeds  in  his  teaching,  that  the  language 
he  uses,  spontaneously  povu'cd  forth,  seems  to  have  been  long 
and  much  laboured.  But  of  all  these  things  I  prefer  that  a 
judgment  should  be  formed  by  a  perusal,  rather  than  that  I 
should  longer  detain  readers  by  a  lengthened  discussion  of 
particulars.  Then  farewell  all  ye  who  hope  for  some  benefit 
from  these  Lectures. 

Geneva,  February  1,  1559. 


THE 


COMMENTARIES  OF  JOHN  CALVIN 


ON  THE 


PROPHET  HOSEA. 


VOL.  I. 


THE   PRAYER   WHICH  JOHN   CALVIN   WAS   WONT   TO   USE   AT 
THE  BEGINNINa  OF  HIS  LECTURES  : 

May  the  Lord  grant,  that  we  may  engage  in  contemplating  the 
mysteries  of  his  heavenly  wisdom  with  really  increasing  devo- 
tion, to  his  glory  and  to  our  edification.    Amen. 


COMMENTARIES 


ON 


THE  PROPHET  HOSEA. 


THE  ARGUMENT. 

I  HAVE  undertaken  to  expound  the  Twelve  Minor  Prophets. 
They  have  been  long  ago  joined  together,  and  their  writings  have  been 
reduced  to  one  volume  ;  and  for  this  reason,  lest  by  being  extant  singly 
in  our  hands,  they  should,  as  it  often  happens,  disappear  in  coiu'se  of 
time  on  account  of  their  brevity. 

Then  the  Twelve  Minor  Prophets  form  but  one  volume.  The  first 
of  them  is  Hosea,  who  was  specifically  destined  for  the  kingdom  of 
Israel :  Micah  and  Isaiah  prophesied  at  the  same  time  among  the 
Jews.  But  it  ought  to  be  noticed,  that  this  Prophet  was  a  teacher  in 
the  kingdom  of  Israel,  as  Isaiah  and  Micah  were  in  the  kingdom  of 
Judah.  The  Lord  doubtless  intended  to  employ  him  in  that  part ;  for 
had  he  prophesied  among  the  Jews,  he  would  not  have  complimented 
them  ;  since  the  state  of  things  was  then  very  corrupt,  not  only  in  Judea, 
but  also  at  Jerusalem,  though  the  palace  and  sanctuary  of  God  were 
there.  We  see  how  sharply  and  severely  Isaiah  and  Micah  reproved 
the  people ;  and  the  style  of  our  Prophet  would  have  been  the  same  had 
the  Lord  employed  his  service  among  the  Jews :  but  he  followed  his 
own  call.  He  knew  what  the  Lord  had  intrusted  to  him  ;  he  faithfully 
discharged  his  own  ofiice.  The  same  was  the  case  with  the  Prophet 
Amos :  for  the  Prophet  Amos  sharply  inveighs  against  the  Israelites, 
and  seems  to  spare  the  Jews ;  and  he  taught  at  the  same  time  with 
Hosea. 

We  see,  then,  in  what  respect  these  four  difi'er  :  Isaiah  and  Micah 
address  their  reproofs  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah  ;  and  Hosea  and  Amos 
only  assail  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and  seem  to  spare  the  Jews.  Each  of 
them  undertook  what  God  had  committed  to  his  charge;  and  so  each 
confined  himself  within  the  limits  of  his  own  call  and  office.  For  if 
we,  who  are  called  to  instruct  the  Church,  close  our  eyes  to  the  sins 
which  prevail  in  it,  and  neglect  those  whom  the  Lord  hath  appointed  to 


36  THE  ARGUMENT. 

be  taught  by  us,  we  confound  all  order  ;  since  they  who  are  appointed 
to  other  places  must  attend  to  those  to  whom  they  have  been  sent  by 
the  Lord's  call. 

We  now,  then,  see  to  whom  this  whole  book  of  Hosea  belongs, — that 
is,  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

But  with  regard  to  the  Prophets,  this  is  true  of  them  all,  as  we  have 
sometimes  said,  that  they  are  interpreters  of  the  law.  And  this  is  the 
sum  of  the  law,  that  God  designs  to  rule  by  his  oa\ti  authority  the  people 
whom  he  has  adopted.  But  the  law  has  tAvo  parts, — a  promise  of  salva- 
tion and  eternal  life,  and  a  nile  for  a  godly  and  holy  living.  To  these  is 
added  a  third  part, — that  men,  not  responding  to  their  call,  are  to  be 
restored  to  the  fear  of  God  by  threatenings  and  reproofs.  The  Prophets 
do  further  teach  what  the  law  has  commanded  respecting  the  true  and 
pure  worship  of  God,  respecting  love;  in  short,  they  instruct  the  people  in  a 
holy  and  godly  life,  and  then  offer  to  them  the  favoixr  of  the  Lord.  And 
as  there  is  no  hope  of  reconciliation  with  God  except  through  a  Media- 
tor, they  ever  set  forth  the  Messiah,  whom  the  Lord  had  long  before 
jiromised. 

As  to  the  third  part,  which  includes  threats  and  reproofs,  it  was 
peculiar  to  the  Prophets  ;  for  they  point  out  times,  and  denounce  this  or 
that  judgment  of  God  :  "  The  Lord  will  punish  you  in  this  way,  and  will 
punish  you  at  such  a  time."  The  Prophets,  then,  do  not  simply  call 
men  to  God's  tribunal,  but  specify  also  certain  kinds  of  punishment,  and 
also  in  the  same  way  they  declare  prophecies  respecting  the  Lord's 
grace  and  his  redemption.  But  on  this  I  only  briefly  touch ;  for  it  will 
be  better  to  notice  each  point  as  we  proceed. 

I  now  return  to  Hosea.  I  have  said  that  his  ministry  belonged  espe- 
cially to  THE  KINGDOM  OF  IsRAEL  ;  for  then  the  whole  worship  of  God 
was  there  polluted,  nor  had  corruption  lately  begiin  ;  but  they  were  so 
obstinate  in  their  superstitions,  that  there  was  no  hope  of  repentance. 
We  indeed  know,  that  as  soon  as  Jeroboam  withdrew  the  ten  tribes  from 
their  allegiance  to  Rehoboam,  the  son  of  Solomon,  fictitious  worship  was 
set  up :  and  Jeroboam  seemed  to  have  wisely  contrived  that  artifice, 
that  the  people  might  not  return  to  the  house  of  David  ;  but  at  the  same 
time  he  brought  on  himself  and  the  whole  people  the  vengeance  of  God. 
And  those  who  came  after  him  followed  the  same  impiety.  When  such 
perverseness  became  intolerable,  God  resolved  to  put  forth  his  power, 
and  to  give  some  signal  proof  of  his  displeasure,  that  the  people  might  at 
length  repent.  Hence  Jehu  was  by  God's  command  anointed  King 
of  Israel,  that  he  might  destroy  all  the  posterity  of  Ahab  :  but  he  also 
soon  relapsed  into  the  same  idolatry.  He  executed  God's  judgment, 
he  pretended  great  zeal ;  but  his  hypocrisy  soon  came  to  light,  for  he 
embraced  false  and  perverted  worship  ;  and  his  followers  were  nothing 
better  even  down  to  Jeroboam,  under  whom  Hosea  prophesied  ;  but  of 
this  we  shall  speak  in  considering  the  inscription  of  the  book. 


CHAP.  I.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  37 


CHAPTER  I. 


3Lectiire  JFir&t 

1.  The  word  of  the  Lord  that  came  1.  Sermo  Jehovje,  qui  fuit 
unto  Hosea,  the  son  of  Beeri,  in  the  days  ad  Hoseam  filium  Beri,  diebus 
of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Heze-  Uzia,  Jotham,  Achaz,  Eze- 
kiah,  kings  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of  chiae,  regum  Jehudah,  et  die- 
Jeroboam,  the  sou  of  Joash,  king  of  bus  Jarobeam  filii  Joas  regis 
Israel.  Israel. 

This  first  verse  shows  the  time  in  which  PIosea  prophesied. 
He  names  four  kings  of  Judah, — Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
Hezekiah.  Uzziah,  called  also  Azariah,  reigned  fifty-two 
years ;  but  after  having  been  smitten  with  leprosy,  he  did 
not  associate  w^ith  men,  and  abdicated  his  royal  dignity. 
Jotham,  his  son,  succeeded  him.  The  years  of  Jotham  were 
about  sixteen,  and  about  as  many  were  those  of  king  Ahaz,  the 
father  of  Hezekiah  ;  and  it  was  under  king  Hezekiah  that 
Hosea  died.  If  we  now  wish  to  ascertain  how  lono;  he  dis- 
charged  his  office  of  teaching,  we  must  take  notice  of  what 
sacred  history  says, — Uzziah  began  to  reign  in  the  twenty- 
seventh  year  of  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Joash.  By  supposing 
that  Hosea  performed  his  duties  as  a  teacher,  excepting 
a  few  years  during  the  reign  of  Jeroboam,  that  is,  the 
sixteen  years  which  passed  from  the  beginning  of  Uzziah's 
reign  to  the  death  of  Jeroboam,  he  must  have  prophesied 
thirty-six  years  under  the  reign  of  Uzziah.  There  is, 
however,  no  doubt  but  that  he  began  to  execute  his  office 
some  years  before  the  end  of  Jeroboam's  reign. 

Here,  then,  there  appear  to  be  at  least  forty  years.  Jotham 
succeeded  his  father,  and  reigned  sixteen  years  ;  and  though 
it  be  a  probable  conjecture,  that  the  beginning  of  his  reign 
is  to  be  counted  from  the  time  he  undertook  the  government, 
after  his  father,  being  smitten  with  leprosy,  was  ejected  from 


38       -  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  I. 

the  society  of  men,  it  is  yet  probable  that  the  remaining 
time  to  the  death  of  his  father  ought  to  come  to  our  reckon- 
ing. When,  howevei%  we  take  for  granted  a  few  years,  it 
must  be  that  Hosea  had  prophesied  more  than  forty-five 
years  before  Alia^  began  to  reign.  Add  now  the  sixteen 
years  in  which  Ahaz  reigned,  and  the  number  will  amount 
to  sixty-one.  There  remain  the  years  in  which  he  prophesied 
under  the  reign  of  Hezekiah.  It  cannot,  then,  be  otherwise, 
but  that  he  had  followed  his  office  more  than  sixty  years, 
and  probably  continued  beyond  the  seventieth  year. 

It  hence  aj)pears  with  how  great  and  with  how  invincible 
a  courage  and  perseverance  he  was  endued  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  when  God  employs  our  service  for  twenty  or 
thirty  years,  we  think  it  very  wearisome,  especially  when  we 
have  to  contend  with  wicked  men,  and  those  who  do  not 
willingly  undertake  the  yoke,  but  pertinaciously  resist  us ; 
we  then  instantly  desire  to  be  set  free,  and  wish  to  become 
like  soldiers  who  have  completed  their  time.  When,  there- 
fore, we  see  that  this  Prophet  persevered  for  so  long  a  time, 
let  him  be  to  us  an  example  of  patience,  so  that  we  may  not 
despond,  though  the  Lord  may  not  immediately  free  us  from 
our  burden. 

Thus  much  of  the  four  kings  whom  he  names.  He  must 
indeed  have  prophesied  (as  I  have  just  shown)  for  nearly  forty 
years  under  the  king  Uzziah  or  Azariah,  and  then  for  some 
years  under  the  king  Ahaz,  (to  omit  now  the  reign  of  Jotham, 
which  was  concurrent  with  that  of  his  father,)  and  he  con- 
tinued to  the  time  of  Hezekiah  :  but  why  has  he  particularly 
mentioned  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Joash,  since  he  could  not 
have  prophesied  under  him  except  for  a  short  time  ?  His 
son  Zachariah  succeeded  him ;  there  arose  afterward  the 
conspiracy  of  Shallum,  who  was  soon  destroyed ;  then  the 
kingdom  became  involved  in  great  confusion ;  and  at  length 
the  Assyrian,  by  means  of  Shalmanazar,  led  away  captive  the 
ten  tribes,  which  became  dispersed  among  the  Medes.  As 
this  was  the  case,  why  does  the  Prophet  here  mention  only 
one  king  of  Israel  ?  This  seems  strange  ;  for  he  continued 
his  office  of  teaching  to  the  end  of  his  reign  and  to  his  death. 
But  an  answer  may  be  easily  given  :  He  wished  distinctly  to 
express,  that  he  began  to  teach  while  the  state  was  entire ; 


CHAP.  I.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  3i9 

for,  had  he  prophesied  after  the  death  of  Jeroboam,  he  might 
have  seemed  to  conjecture  some  great  calamity  from  the 
then  present  view  of  things  :  thus  it  Avould  not  have  been 
prophecy,  or,  at  least,  his  credit  would  have  been  much  less. 
"  He  now,  forsooth !  divines  what  is  evident  to  the  eyes  of  all." 
For  Zachariah  flourished  but  a  short  time  ;  and  the  con- 
spiracy alluded  to  before  was  a  certain  presage  of  an  approach- 
ing destruction,  and  the  kingdom  became  soon  dissolved. 
Hence  the  Prophet  testifies  here  in  express  words,  that  he 
had  already  threatened  future  vengeance  to  the  people,  even 
when  the  kingdom  of  Israel  flourished  in  wealth  and  power, 
when  Jeroboam  was  enjoying  his  triumphs,  and  when  pro- 
sperity inebriated  the  whole  land. 

This,  then,  was  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  mentioned 
only  this  one  king ;  for  under  him  the  kingdom  of  Israel 
became  strong,  and  was  fortified  by  many  strongholds  and  a 
large  army,  and  abounded  also  in  great  riches.  Indeed, 
sacred  history  tells  us,  that  God  had  by  Jeroboam  delivered 
the  kingdom  of  Israel,  though  he  himself  was  unworthy,  and 
that  he  had  recovered  many  cities  and  a  very  wide  extent 
of  country.  As,  then,  he  had  increased  the  kingdom,  as  he 
had  become  formidable  to  all  his  neighbours,  as  he  had 
collected  great  riches,  and  as  the  people  lived  in  ease  and 
luxury,  what  the  Prophet  declared  seemed  incredible.  "  Ye 
are  not,"  he  said,  "  the  people  of  the  Lord  ;  ye  are  adulterous 
children,  ye  are  born  of  fornication."  Such  a  reproof  cer- 
tainly seemed  not  seasonable.  Then  he  said,  "  The  kingdom 
shall  be  taken  from  you,  destruction  is  nigh  to  you."  "  What, 
to  us  ?  and  yet  our  king  has  now  obtained  so  many  victories, 
and  has  struck  terror  into  other  kings."  The  kingdom  of 
Judah,  which  was  a  rival,  being  then  nearly  broken  down, 
there  was  no  one  who  could  have  ventured  to  suspect  such 
an  event. 

We  now,  then,  perceive  why  the  Prophet  here  says  ex- 
pressly that  he  had  prophesied  under  Jeroboam.  He  indeed 
prophesied  after  his  death,  and  folloAved  his  office  even  after 
the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel ;  but  he  began  to 
teach  at  a  time  when  he  was  a  sport  to  the  ungodly,  who 
exalted   themselves    against  God,  and  boldly    despised  his 


40  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  I. 

threatenings  as  long  as  he  spared  and  bore  with  them ;  which 
is  ever  the  case,  as  proved  by  the  constant  experience  of  all 
ages.  We  hence  see  more  clearly  with  what  power  of  the 
Spirit  God  had  endued  the  Prophet,  who  dared  to  rise  up 
against  so  powerful  a  king,  and  to  reprove  his  wickedness, 
and  also  to  summon  his  subjects  to  the  same  judgment. 
When,  therefore,  the  Prophet  conducted  himself  so  boldly, 
at  a  time  when  the  Israelites  were  not  only  sottish  on  ac- 
count of  their  great  success,  but  also  wholly  insane,  it  was 
certainly  nothing  short  of  a  miracle  ;  and  this  ought  to  avail 
much  to  establish  his  authority.  We  now,  then,  see  the  de- 
sign of  the  inscription  contained  in  the  first  verse.  It 
follows — 

2.    The  beginning   of  tlie  2.  Principium  quo  loquutus  est  Jehova 

M^oi'd  of  the  Lord  by  Hosea.  per  Hoseam,  {alii  vei-tunt^  cum  Hosea ; 

And  tlie  Lord  said  to  Hosea,  adverbiim  est,  in  Hosea;  est  litera  betli.^ 

Go,  take  unto  thee  a  wife  of  Dixit  Jehova  ad  Hoseara,  Vade,  sume 

whoredoms    and    children    of  tibi  uxorem  scortationum  et  filios  scor- 

whoredoms  :  for  the  land  hath  tationum,    quia    scortaudo    scortabitur 

committed   great    whoredom,  terra,  (hoc  est,  scortata  est,)  ne  sequatur 

departing  from  the  Lord.  Jehovam. 

The  Prophet  shows  here  what  charge  was  given  him  at  the 
beginning,  even  to  declare  open  war  with  the  Israelites,  and 
to  be,  as  it  were,  very  angry  in  the  person  of  God,  and  to  de- 
nounce destruction.  He  begins  not  with  smooth  things,  nor 
does  he  gently  exhort  the  people  to  repentance,  nor  adopt  a 
circuitous  course  to  soften  the  asperity  of  his  doctrine.  He 
shows  that  he  had  used  nothing  of  this  kind,  but  says,  that 
he  had  been  sent  like  heralds  or  messengers  to  proclaim  war. 
The  beginning,  then,  of  what  the  Lord  spake  by  Hosea  was 
this,  "  This  people  are  an  adulterous  race,  all  are  bom,  as  it 
were,  of  a  harlot,  the  kingdom  of  Israel  is  the  filtliiest  brothel ; 
and  I  now  repudiate  and  reject  them,  I  no  longer  own  them 
as  ray  children."  This  was  no  common  vehemence.  We 
hence  see  that  the  word  heginning  was  not  set  down  without 
reason,  but  advisedly,  that  we  may  know  that  the  Prophet, 
as  soon  as  he  undertook  the  office  of  teaching,  was  vehement 
and  severe,  and,  as  it  were,  fulminated  against  the  kingdom 
of  Israel. 


CHAP.  I.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  H08EA.  41 

Now,  if  it  be  asked,  why  was  God  so  greatly  displeased  ? 
why  did  he  not  first  recall  the  wretched  men  to  himself,  since 
the  usual  method  seems  to  have  been,  that  the  Prophet  tried, 
by  a  kind  and  paternal  address,  to  restore  those  to  a  sound 
mind  who  had  departed  from  the  pure  worship  of  God, — why, 
then,  did  not  God  adopt  this  ordinary  course  ?  But  we 
hence  gather  that  the  diseases  of  the  people  were  incurable. 
The  Prophet,  no  doubt,  intimates  here  distinctly,  that  he 
was  sent  by  God,  when  the  state  of  things  was  almost  past 
recovery.  We  indeed  know  that  God  is  not  wont  to  deal  so 
severely  with  men,  but  when  he  has  tried  all  other  remedies  ; 
and  this  may  doubtless  be  easily  learned  from  the  records  of 
Scripture.  The  ten  tribes,  immediately  after  their  revolt  from 
the  family  of  David,  having  renounced  the  worship  of  God, 
embraced  idolatry  and  ungodly  superstitions.  They  ought 
to  have  retained  in  their  minds  the  recollection  of  this  oracle, 
^  The  Lord  hath  chosen  mount  Zion,  where  he  hath  desired 
to  be  worshipped  ;  this,'  he  said,  '  is  my  rest  forever  ;  here 
will  I  dwell,  for  I  have  chosen  it,'  (Ps.  cxxxii.  13, 14.)  And 
this  prediction,  we  know,  had  not  been  once  or  ten  times 
repeated,  but  a  hundred  times,  that  it  might  be  more  firmly 
fixed  in  the  hearts  of  men.  Since,  then,  they  ought  to  have 
had  this  truth  fully  impressed  on  their  hearts,  that  the  Lord 
would  have  himself  worshipped  nowhere  except  on  mount 
Zion,  it  was  monstrous  stupidity  in  them  to  erect  a  new 
temple  and  to  make  the  calves.  That  the  people,  then,  had 
so  quickly  fallen  away  from  God  was  an  instance  of  the  most 
perverse  madness.  But,  as  I  have  said,  they  had  reached  the 
highest  point  of  impiety.  When  God  punished  so  great  sins 
by  Jehu,  the  people  ought  then  to  have  returned  to  the  pure 
worship  of  God,  and  there  was  some  reformation  in  the  land  ; 
but  they  ever  reverted  to  their  own  nature,  yea,  the  event 
proved  that  they  only  dissembled  for  a  short  time  ;  so  blinded 
they  were  by  a  diabolical  perverseness,  that  they  ever  con- 
tinued in  their  superstitions.  It  is  not,  then,  to  be  wondered 
at,  that  the  Lord  toade  this  beginning  by  Hosea,  "  Ye  are  all 
horn  of  fornication^  your  kingdom  is  the  filthiest  brothel ;  ye 
are  not  my  people,  ye  are  not  beloved."  Who,  then,  will  not 
allow,  that  God,  by   fulminating  in  so  dreadful   a   manner 


42  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  I. 

against  this  people,  dealt  justly  with  them,  and  for  the  best 
reason  ?  The  contumacy  of  the  people  was  so  indomitable, 
that  it  could  be  overcome  in  no  other  way.  We  now  under- 
stand why  the  Prophet  used  this  expression,  The  heginning 
of  speaking  which.  God  made. 

Then  it  follows,  in  Hosea.  He  had  said  in  the  first  verse, 
The  word  of  Jehovah  which  teas  to  Hosea ;  he  now  says, 
J^^inij  beusho,  in  Hosea ;  and  he  adds,  God  spake  and 
said  to  Hosea,  repeating  the  preposition  used  in  the  first 
verse.  The  word  of  the  Lord  is  said  to  have  been  to  Hosea, 
not  simply  because  God  addressed  the  Prophet,  but  because 
he  sent  him  forth  with  certain  commissions,  for  in  this  sense 
is  the  word  of  God  said  to  have  been  to  the  Prophets.  God 
addresses  his  word  also  indiscriminately  to  others,  whomso- 
ever he  is  pleased  to  teach  by  his  word,  but  he  speaks  to  and 
addresses  his  Prophets  in  a  peculiar  way,  for  he  makes  them 
the  ministers  and  heralds  of  his  word,  and  puts,  as  it  were, 
into  their  mouth  what  they  afterwards  bring  forth  to  the 
people.  So  Christ  says,  that  the  word  of  God  came  to  kings, 
because  he  constitutes  and  appoints  them  to  govern  mankind. 
"  If  he  calls  them  gods,"  he  says,  "  to  whom  the  word  of  God 
came ;"  and  that  psalm,  we  know,  was  written  with  a  special 
reference  to  kings.  We  now  perceive  what  this  sentence  in 
the  first  verse  contains.  The  word  of  God  came  to  Hosea ; 
for  the  Lord  did  not  simply  address  the  Prophet  in  a  com- 
mon way,  but  furnished  him  with  instructions,  that  he  might 
afterwards  teach  the  people,  as  it  were,  in  the  person  of  God 
himself. 

It  is  now  added  in  the  second  verse.  The  beginning  of 
speaking,  such  as  the  Lord  made  by  Hosea.  They  who  give 
this  rendering,  "  w^ith  Hosea,"  seem  to  explain  the  Prophet's 
meaning  frigidly.  The  letter  ^,  bcth,  I  know,  has  this  sense 
often  in  Scripture  ;  but  the  Prophet,  no  doubt,  in  this  place 
represents  himself  as  the  instrument  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  God 
then  spake  in  Hosea,  or  by  Hosea,  for  he  brought  forth  no- 
thing from  his  own  brain,  but  God  spake  by  him ;  this  is  a 
form  of  speaking  with  which  we  shall  often  meet.  On 
this,  indeed,  depends  the  whole  autliority  of  God's  servants, 
that  they  give  not  themselves   loose   reins,    but  faithfully 


CHAP.  I.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  43 

deliver,  as  it  were,  from  hand  to  hand,  what  the  Lord  has 
commanded  them,  without  adding  any  thing  whatever  of 
their  own.  God  then  spake  in  Hosea.  It  afterwards  follows, 
The  Lord  said  to  Hosea.  Now  this,  which  is  said  the  third 
time,  or  three  times  repeated,  is  nothing  else  than  the  com- 
mission in  different  forms.  He  first  said  in  general,  "  The 
word  of  the  Lord  which  was  to  Hosea ;"  now  he  says,  "  The 
Lord  spake  thus,"  and  he  expresses  distinctly  what  the  word 
was  which  he  referred  to  in  the  first  verse. 

Go,  he  says,  take  to  thee  a  loife  of  icantonnessy  and  the  children 
of  wantonness  ;  and  the  reason  is  added,  ybr  btj  fornicating,  or 
wantoning,  hath  the  land  grown  wanton.  He  doubtless  speaks 
here  of  the  vices  which  the  Lord  had  long  endured  with  in- 
expressible forbearance.  By  icantoning  then  hath  the  land 
grown  loanton,  that  it  shoidd  not  follow  Jehovah. 

Here  interpreters  labour  much,  because  it  seems  very 
strange  that  the  Prophet  should  take  a  harlot  for  a  wife. 
Some  say  that  this  was  an  extraordinary  case.'  Certainly 
such  a  license  could  not  have  been  borne  in  a  teacher.  We 
see  what  Paul  requires  in  a  bishop,  and  no  doubt  the  same 
was  required  formerly  in  the  Prophets,  that  their  families 
should  be  chaste  and  free  from  every  stain  and  reproach.  It 
would  have  then  exposed  the  Prophet  to  the  scorn  of  all,  if 
he  had  entered  a  brothel  and  taken  to  himself  a  harlot ;  for 
he  speaks  not  here  of  an  unchaste  woman  only,  but  of  a 
woman  of  wantonness,  which  means  a  common  harlot,  far  a 
woman  of  wantonness  is  she  called,  Avho  has  long  habituated 
herself  to  Avantonness,  who  has  exposed  herself  to  all,  to 
gratify  the  wish  of  all,  who  has  prostituted  herself,  not  once 
nor  twice,  nor  to  few  men,  but  to  all.     That  this  was  done  by 

^  Much  difference  has  pi-evailed  on  this  subject.  That  it  was  a  real  trans- 
action, has  been  the  opinion  of  not  a  few.  Poole  quotes  Basil,  Axiyustine,  Jerome 
and  Theodore.t,  as  entertaining  this  view.  Bishop  Horsley  agrees  with  them  • 
but  he  makes  this  wise  remarlc,  "  This  is  in  tnxth  a  question  of  little  import- 
ance to  the  interpretation  of  the  prophecy,  for  the  act  was  equally  emblema- 
tical, whether  it  was  real  or  visionary  only  ;  and  the  signification  of  the  emblem 
whether  the  act  were  done  in  reality  or  in  vision,  will  be  the  same." 

Henry  seems  to  lean  to  the  opinion  that  it  was  a  parable  ;  and  Scott,  that 
it  was  a  real  transaction.  The  notion  of  a  parable  is  attended  with  the  least 
difficulty,  and  corresponds  with  the  mode  of  teaching  often  adopted  both  in 
the  Old  and  in  the  New  Testament. — Ed. 


44  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  I. 

the  Prophet  seems  very  improbable.  But  some  reply,  as  I 
have  said,  that  this  ought  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  common 
rule,  for  it  was  an  extraordinary  command  of  God.  And  yet 
it  seems  not  consistent  with  reason,  that  the  Lord  should  thus 
gratuitously  render  his  Pi'ophet  contemptible ;  for  how  could 
he  expect  to  be  received  on  coming  abroad  before  the  public, 
after  having  brought  on  himself  such  a  disgrace  ?  If  he  had 
married  a  wife  such  as  is  here  described,  he  ought  to  have  con- 
cealed himself  for  life  rather  than  to  undertake  the  Prophetic 
office.  Their  opinion,  therefore,  is  not  probable,  who  think 
that  the  Prophet  had  taken  such  a  wife  as  is  here  described. 

Then  another  reason,  utterly  unresolvable,  militates  against 
them ;  for  the  Prophet  is  not  only  bidden  to  take  a  wife  of 
wantonness,  but  also  children  of  Avantonness,  begotten  by 
whoredom.  It  is,  therefore,  the  same  as  if  he  himself  had 
committed  whoredom.^  For  if  we  say  that  he  married  a 
wife  who  had  previously  conducted  herself  with  some  in- 
decency and  want  of  chastity,  (as  Jerome  at  length  argues  in 
order  to  excuse  the  Prophet,)  the  excuse  is  frivolous,  for  he 
speaks  not  only  of  the  wife,  but  also  of  the  children,  inas- 
much as  God  would  have  the  whole  offspring  to  be  adulter- 
ous, and  this  could  not  be  the  case  in  a  lawful  marriage. 
Hence  almost  all  the  Hebrews  agree  in  this  opinion,  that  the 
Prophet  did  not  actually  marry  a  wife,  but  that  he  was  bidden 
to  do  this  in  a  vision.  And  we  shall  see  in  the  third  chapter 
almost  the  same  thing  described ;  and  yet  what  is  narrated 
there  could  not  have  been  actually  done,  for  the  Prophet  is 
bidden  to  marry  a  wife  who  had  violated  her  conjugal  fidelity, 
and  after  having  bought  her,  to  retain  her  at  home  for  a  time. 
This,  we  know,  was  not  done.  It  then  follows  that  this  was 
a  representation  exhibited  to  the  people. 

Some  object  and  say,  that  the  whole  passage,  as  given  by 
the  Prophet,  cannot  be  understood  as  relating  a  vision.  Why 
not  ?  For  the  vision,  they  say,  was  given  to  him  alone,  and  God 
had  a  regard  to  the  whole  people  rather  than  to  the  Prophet. 

1  This  does  not  follow ;  for,  as  Bishop  HorsJey  justly  observes,  "  the  children 
of  wantonness"  were  those  previously  begotten.  The  Prophet  was  to  take  a 
woman  who  was  a  harlot,  together  with  her  spurious  children.  This  is  the 
evident  meaning  of  the  passage. — Ed. 


CHAP.   I.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  45 

But  it  may  be,  and  it  is  probable,  that  no  vision  was  presented 
to  the  Prophet,  but  that  God  only  ordered  him  to  proclaim 
what  had  been  given  him  in  charge.  When,  therefore,  the 
Prophet  began  to  teach,  he  commenced  somewhat  in  this 
way :  ''  The  Lord  places  me  here  as  on  a  stage,  to  make 
known  to  you  that  I  have  married  a  wife,  a  wife  habituated 
to  adulteries  and  whoredoms,  and  that  I  have  begotten 
children  by  her."  The  whole  people  knew  that  he  had  done 
no  such  thing ;  but  the  Prophet  spake  thus  in  order  to  set 
before  their  eyes  a  vivid  representation.  Such,  then,  was  the 
vision,  a  figurative  exhibition,  not  that  the  Prophet  knew  this 
by  a  vision,  but  the  Lord  had  bidden  him  to  relate  this 
parable,  (so  to  speak,)  or  this  similitude,  that  the  people  might 
see,  as  in  a  living  portraiture,  their  turpitude  and  perfidious- 
ness.  It  is,  in  short,  an  exhibition,  in  which  the  thing  itself 
is  not  only  set  forth  in  words,  but  is  also  placed,  as  it  were, 
before  their  eyes  in  a  visible  form.  The  reason  is  added,  ^or 
hy  wantoning  hath  the  land  grown  wanton. 

"We  now  then  see  how  the  words  of  the  Prophet  ought  to 
be  understood  ;  for  he  assumed  a  character,  when  going  forth 
before  the  public,  and  in  this  character  he  said  to  the  people, 
that  God  had  bidden  him  to  take  a  harlot  for  his  wife,  and  to 
beget  adulterous  children  by  her.  His  ministry  was  not  on 
this  account  made  contemptible,  for  they  all  knew  that  he 
had  ever  lived  virtuously  and  temperately ;  they  all  knew 
that  his  household  was  exempt  from  every  reproach ;  but 
here  he  exhibited  in  his  assumed  character,  as  it  were,  a 
living  image  of  the  baseness  of  the  people.  This  is  the  mean- 
ing, and  I  see  nothing  strained  in  this  explanation  ;  and  we, 
at  the  same  time,  see  the  meaning  of  this  clause.  By  loanton- 
ing  hath  the  land  grown  icanton.  Hosea  might  have  said  this 
in  one  word,  but  he  had  to  address  the  deaf,  and  we  know 
how  great  and  how  stupid  is  the  madness  of  those  who  delight 
themselves  in  their  own  superstitions,  they  cannot  bear  any 
reproof.  The  Prophet  then  would  not  have  been  attended 
to,  unless  he  had  exhibited,  as  in  a  mirror  before  their  eyes, 
what  he  wished  to  be  understood  by  them,  as  though  he  had 
said,  "If  none  of  you  can  so  know  himself  as  to  own  his 
public  baseness,  if  ye  are  all  so  obstinate  against  God,  at 


46  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  I. 

least  know  now  by  ray  assumed  character,  that  you  are  all 
adulterous,  and  derive  your  origin  from  a  filthy  brothel,  for 
God  declares  thus  concerning  you ;  and  as  you  are  not  willing 
to  receive  such  a  declaration,  it  is  now  set  before  you  in  my 
assumed  character." 

That  it  should  not  follow  Jehovah,  literally.  From  after 
Jehovah,  "•'^ni^/b,  meachri.  We  here  see  what  is  the  spiritual 
chastity  of  God's  people,  and  what  also  is  the  signification  of 
the  word  wantoning.  Then  the  spiritual  chastity  of  God's 
people  is  to  follow  the  Lord ;  and  what  else  is  this  to  follow, 
but  to  suffer  ourselves  to  be  ruled  by  his  word,  and  willingly 
to  obey  him,  to  be  ready  and  prepared  for  any  work  to  which 
he  may  call  us  ?  When,  then,  the  Lord  goes  before  us  with 
his  instruction  and  shows  the  way,  and  we  become  teachable 
and  obedient,  and  look  up  to  him,  and  turn  not  aside,  either 
to  the  right  or  to  the  left  hand,  but  bring  our  whole  life  to 
the  obedience  of  faith, — this  is  really  to  follow  the  Lord; 
and  it  is  a  most  beautiful  definition  of  the  spiritual  chastity 
of  God's  people. 

And  we  may  also,  from  the  opposite  of  this,  learn  what  it 
is  to  grow  wanton ;  we  do  so  when  we  depart  from  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  when  we  give  ear  to  false  doctrines,  when  we 
abandon  ourselves  to  superstitions  ;  when  we,  in  short,  wander 
after  our  own  devices,  and  keep  not  our  thoughts  under  the 
authority  of  the  word  of  the  Lord.  But  as  to  the  word 
wantoning,  more  will  be  said  in  chap.  ii. ;  but  I  only  wished  now 
briefly  to  touch  on  what  the  Prophet  means  when  he  chides 
the  Israelites  for  having  all  become  wanton.     Now  follows — 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  once  adopted  us,  and 
continuest  to  confirm  this  thy  favour  by  calling  us  unceasingly 
to  thyself,  and  dost  not  only  severely  chastise  us,  but  also 
gently  and  paternally  invite  us  to  thyself,  and  exhort  us  at  the 
same  time  to  repentance, — O  grant  that  we  may  not  be  so 
hardened  as  to  resist  thy  goodness,  nor  abuse  this  thine  incre- 
dible forbearance,  but  submit  ourselves  in  obedience  to  thee ; 
that  whenever  thou  mayest  severely  chastise  us,  we  may  bear 
thy  corrections  with  genuine  submission  of  faith,  and  not  con- 


CHA^.  I.  3,  4.  COMMENTAKIES  ON  IIOSEA.  47 

tinue  untameable  and  obstinate  to  the  last,  but  return  to  thee,  the 
ouly  fountain  of  life  and  salvation,  that  as  thou  hast  once  begun 
in  us  a  good  work,  so  thou  mayest  perfect  it  to  the  day  of  our 
Lord.     Amen. 


%(ctnve  Seconlr. 

3.  So  he  went  and  took  Gomer,  8.  Et  profectus  est  et  accepit  Go- 
thedaughter  of  Diblaim;  which  con-  mer,  filiam  Diblaim  :  et  concepit 
ceived  and  bare  him  a  son.  et  peperit  ei  filium. 

4.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  4.  Et  dixit  Jehova  ad  eum,  Voca 
CallhisnameJezreel;  for  yet  a  little  nomen  Jizi-eel,  quia  adhuc  paux- 
while,  and  I  will  avenge  the  blood  ilium,  et  visitabo  sanguines  Jiz- 
of  Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu,  reel  super  domum  Jehu,  et  cessare 
and  will  cause  to  cease  the  kingdom  faciam  (hoc  est,  abolebo)  regnum 
of  Israel.  domus  Israel. 

We  said  in  yesterday's  Lecture^  that  God.  ordered  his  Pro- 
phet to  take  a  wife  of  whoredoms,  but  that  this  was  not 
actually  done ;  for  what  other  effect  could  it  have  had,  but 
to  render  the  Prophet  contemptible  to  all?  and  thus  his 
authority  would  have  been  reduced  to  nothing.  But  God 
only  meant  to  show  to  the  IsraeHtes  by  such  a  representa- 
tion, that  they  vaunted  themselves  without  reason ;  for  they 
had  nothing  worthy  of  praise,  but  were  in  every  way  igno- 
minious. It  is  then  said,  Hosea  we?it  and  took  to  himself 
Gomer,  the  daughter  of  Diblaim.  "HlbJ,  Gomer,  means  in 
Hebrew,  to  fail ;  and  sometimes  it  signifies  actively,  to  con- 
sume ;  and  hence  Gomer  means  consumption.  But  Diblaim 
are  masses  of  figs,  or  dry  figs  reduced  to  a  mass.  The  Greeks 
call  them  •n-aXadag:  The  Cabalists  say  here  that  the  wife  of 
Hosea  was  called  by  this  name,  because  they  who  are  much 
given  to  wantonness  at  length  fall  into  death  and  corrup- 
tion. So  consumption  is  the  daughter  of  figs,  for  by  figs 
they  understand  the  sweetness  of  lusts.  But  it  will  be  more 
simple  to  say,  that  this  representation  was  exhibited  to  the 
people,  that  the  Prophet  set  before  them,  instead  of  a  wife, 
consumption,  the  daughter  of  figs ;  that  is,  that  he  laid  before 
them  masses  of  figs,  or  TaXa^as,  representing  Gomer,  Avhich 
means  consumption,  and  that  he  adopted  a  similar  manner 


48  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LEdt.  II. 

with  mathematicians,  when  they  describe  their  figures, — "  If 
this  be  so  much,  then  that  is  so  much."  We  may  then  thus 
understand  the  passage,  that  the  Prophet  here  named  for  his 
wife  the  corrupt  masses  of  figs ;  so  that  she  was  consumption 
or  putrefaction,  born  of  figs,  reduced  into  such  masses.  For 
I  still  persist  in  the  opinion  I  expressed  yesterday,  that 
the  Prophet  did  not  enter  a  brothel  to  take  a  wife  to  himself: 
for  otherwise  he  must  have  begotten  bastards,  and  not  legiti- 
mate children ;  for,  as  it  Avas  said  yesterday,  the  case  with  the 
wife  and  the  children  was  the  same. 

We  now  then  understand  the  true  meaning  of  this  verse 
to  be,  that  the  Prophet  did  not  marry  a  harlot,  but  only  ex- 
hibited her  befoi'c  the  eyes  of  the  people  as  though  she  were 
corruption,  born  of  putrified  masses  of  figs. 

It  now  follows,  the  wife  conceived, — the  imaginary  one,  the 
wife  as  represented  and  exhibited.     She  conceived,  he  says, 
and  hare  a  son :  then  said  Jehovah  to  him,  Call  his  name  Jezreel. 
Many  render  7{<yiTS  Izroal,  dispersion,  and  follow  the  Chal- 
dean paraphraser.      They  also    think  that  this   ambiguous 
term  contains  some  allusion ;  for  as  ^^T?  z^ro,  is  seed,  they 
suppose  that  the  Prophet  indirectly  glances  at  the  vain  boast- 
ino-  of  the  people;  for  they  called  themselves  the  chosen 
seed,  because  they  had  been  planted  by  the  Lord ;  hence  the 
name  Jezreel.     But  the  Prophet  here,  according  to  these 
interpreters,  exposes  this  folly  to  contempt;  as  though  he 
said,  "  Ye  are  Israel ;  but  in  another  respect,  ye  are  disper- 
sion :  for  as  the  seed  is  cast  in  various  directions,  so  the  Lord 
will  scatter  you,  and  thus  destroy  and  cast  you  away.     You 
think  yourselves  to  have  been  planted  in  this  land,  and  to 
have  a  standing  from  which  you  can  never  be  shaken  or  torn 
away ;  but  the  Lord  will,  with  his  own  hand,  lay  hold  on 
you  to  cast  you  away  to  the  remotest  regions  of  the  world." 
This  sense  is  what  many  interpreters  give ;  nor  do  I  deny 
but   that  the  Prophet   alludes   to   the   words   sowing   and 
seed ;  with  this  I  disagree  not :  only  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
Prophet  looks  farther,  and  intimates,  that  they  were  wholly 
degenerate,  not  the  true  nor  the  genuine  offspring  of  Abra- 
ham. 


CHAr.  I.  3j  4.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  49 

There  is,  as  we  see,  much  affinity  between  the  names  Jez- 
reel  and  Israel.  How  honourable  is  the  name,  Israel,  it  is 
evident  from  its  etymology ;  and  we  also  know  that  it  was 
given  from  above  to  the  holy  father  Jacob.  God,  then,  the 
bestower  of  this  name,  procured  by  his  own  authority,  that 
those  called  Israelites  should  be  superior  to  others  :  and  then 
we  must  remember  the  reason  why  Jacob  was  called  Israel; 
for  he  had  a  contest  with  God,  and  overcame  in  the  struggle, 
(Gen.  xxxii.  28.)  Hence  the  posterity  of  Abraham  gloried 
that  they  were  Israelites.  And  the  prophet  Isaiah  also  glances 
at  this  arrogance,  when  he  says,  '  Come  ye  who  are  called 
by  the  name  of  Israel,'  (Isa.  xlviii.  1 ;)  as  though  he  said, 
"  Ye  are  Israelites,  but  only  as  to  the  title,  for  the  reality 
exists  not  in  you." 

Let  us  now  retui'n  to  our  Hosea.  Call,  he  says,  Ms  name 
Jezreel  -^  as  though  he  said,  "  They  call  themselves  Israelites  ; 
but  I  will  show,  by  a  little  change  in  the  word,  that  they  are 
degenerate  and  spurious,  for  they  are  Jezreelites  rather  than 
Israelites."  And  it  appears  that  Jezreel  was  the  metropolis, 
of  the  kingdom  in  the  time  of  Ahab,  and  where  also  that 
great  slaughter  was  made  by  Jehu,  which  is  related  in  the 
tenth  chapter  of  2  Kings.  We  now  perceive  the  meaning  of 
the  Prophet  to  be,  that  the  whole  kingdom  had  degenerated 
from  its  first  beginning,  and  could  no  longer  be  deemed  as 
including  the  race  of  Abraham  ;  for  the  people  had,  by  their 
own  perfidy,  fallen  from  that  honour,  and  lost  their  first  name. 
God  then,  by  way  of  contempt,  calls  them  Jezreelites,  and 
not  Israelites. 

A  reason  afterwards  follows  which  confirms  this  view,  For 
yet  a  little  ivhile,  and  I  icill  visit  the  slaughters  of  Jezreel  upon 
the  house  of  Jehu.     Here  interpreters  labour  not  a  little,  be- 

'  The  explanation  given  of  this  word  by  Ilorsley  does  not  in  the  least 
con-espond  with  the  context,  or  with  the  reason  afterwards  assigned  for  it. 
lie  interprets  it  "  the  seed  of  God,"  meaning  the  sei-vants  of  God,  according 
to  the  supposed  etymology  of  the  word :  hut  the  first  son  of  Hosea  was  called 
Jezreel,  as  stated  expressly  on  account  of  what  was  to  take  place  in  the  city, 
or  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  And  to  say  that  as  the  word  is  taken  in  its 
etymological  sense  in  chap.  ii.  ver.  22,  it  ought  to  be  so  taken  here,  is  no 
valid  reason.  When  a  word,  as  in  this  case,  admits  of  two  meanings,  it  is  the 
context  that  must  be  our  guide,  and  not  the  sense  of  it  in  another  chapter. 

VOL.  I.  D 


50  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  II. 

cause  it  seems  strange  that  God  should  visit  the  slaughter 
made  by  Jehu,  which  yet  he  had  approved ;  nay,  Jehu  did 
nothing  thoughtlessly,  but  knew  that  he  was  commanded  to 
execute  that  vengeance.  He  was,  therefore,  God's  legitimate 
minister ;  and  why  is  what  God  commanded  imputed  to  him 
now  as  a  crime  ?  This  reasoning  has  driven  some  interpret- 
ers to  take  Moods  here  for  wicked  deeds  in  general :  '  I  Avill 
avenge  the  sins  of  Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu.'  Some 
say,  "  I  Avill  avenge  the  slaughter  of  Naboth  :"  but  this  is 
wholly  absurd,  nor  can  it  suit  the  place,  for,  "  upon  the  house 
of  Jehu,"  is  distinctly  expressed ;  and  God  did  not  visit  Ins 
slaughter  on  the  house  of  Jehu,  but  on  the  house  of  Ahab. 
But  they  who  are  thus  embarrassed  do  not  consider  what 
the  Prophet  has  in  view.  For  God,  when  he  wished  Jehu 
with  his  drawn  sword  to  destroy  the  whole  house  of  Ahab, 
had  this  end  as  his  object, — that  Jehu  should  restore  pure 
Avorship,  and  cleanse  the  land  from  all  defilements.-'"'  Jehu 
then  was  stirred  up  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  he  might  re- 
establish God's  pure  Avorship.  When  a  defender  of  religion, 
how  did  he  act  ?  He  became  contented  with  his  prey.  After 
having  seized  on  the  kingdom  for  himself,  he  confirmed 
idolatry  and  every  abomination.  He  did  not  then  spend  his 
labour  for  God^^^,>Hence  that  slaughter  with  regard  to  Jehu 
was  robbery,;  "with  regard  to  God  it  was  a  just  revenge^ 
This  view  ought  to  satisfy  us  as  to  the  explanation  of  tjns 
passage  ;  and  I  bring  nothing  but  what  the  Holy  Scripture 
contains.  For  after  Jehu  seemed  to  burn  with  zeal  for  God, 
he  soon  proved  that  there  was  nothing  sincere  in  his  heart ; 
for  he  embraced  all  the  superstitions  which  previously  pre- 
vailed in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  In  short,  the  reformation 
under  Jehu  was  like  that  under  Henry  King  of  England ; 
who,  when  he  saw  that  he  could  not  otherwise  shake  off  the 
yoke  of  the  Roman  Antichrist  than  by  some  disguise,  pre- 
tended great  zeal  for  a  time :  he  afterwards  raged  cruelly 
against  all  the  godly,  and  doubled  {diiplicavit — duplicated)  the 
tyranny  of  the  Roman  Pontiff :  and  such  was  Jehu. 

When  we  duly  consider  what  was  done  by  Henry,  it  was 
indeed  an  heroic  valour  to  deliver  his  kingdom  from  the 
hardest  of  tyrannies :  but  yet,  with  regard  to  him,  he  was 


CIIAr.  I.  3,  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  51 

certainly  worse  tlian  all  the  other  vassals  of  the  Roman  An- 
tichrist; for  they  who  continue  under  that  bondage,  retain 
at  least  some  kind  of  religion ;  but  he  was  restrained  by  no 
shame  from  men,  and  proved  himself  wholly  void  of  every 
fear  towards  God.  He  was  a  monster,  {homo  helluinus — 
a  beastly  man ;)  and  such  was  Jehu. 

Now,  when  the  Prophet  says,  I  will  avenge  the  slaughters 
of  Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu,  it  is  no  matter  of  wonder. 
How  so  ?  For  it  was  the  highest  honour  to  him,  that  God 
anointed  him  king,  that  he,  who  was  of  a  low  family,  was 
chosen  a  king  by  the  Lord.  He  ought  then  to  have 
stretched  every  nerve  to  restore  God's  pure  worship,  and  to 
destroy  all  superstitions.  This  he  did  not ;  on  the  contrary, 
he  confirmed  them.  He  was  then  a  robber,  and  as  to  him- 
self, no  minister  of  God. 

The  meaning  of  the  whole  then  is  this  :  "  Ye  are  not 
Israelites,  (there  is  here  only  an  ambiguity  as  to  the  pro- 
nunciation of  one  letter,)  but  Jezreelites ;"  Avhich  means, 
"  Ye  are  not  the  descendants  of  Jacob,  but  Jezreelites ;" 
that  is,  "  Ye  are  a  degenerate  people,  and  differ  nothing 
from  king  Ahab.  He  was  accursed,  and  under  him  the  king- 
dom became  accursed.  Are  ye  changed  ?  Is  there  any  re- 
formation ?  Since  then  ye  are  obstinate  in  your  wickedness, 
though  ye  proudly  claim  the  name  of  Jacob,  ye  are  yet  un- 
•\vorthy  of  such  an  honour.     I  therefore  call  you  Jezreelites." 

And  the  reason  is  added.  For  yet  a  little  ichile,  and  I  will 
visit  the  slaughters  upon  the  house  of  Jehu.  God  now  shows 
that  the  people  were  destitute  of  all  glory.  But  they  thought 
that  the  memory  of  all  sins  had  been  buried  since  the  time 
that  the  house  of  Ahab  had  been  cut  off.  "  Why  ?  I  will 
avenge  these  slaughters,"  saith  the  Lord.  It  is  customary, 
we  know,  with  hypocrites,  after  having  punished  one  sin,  to 
think  that  all  things  are  laAvful  to  them,  and  to  wish  to  be 
thus  discharged  before  God.  A  thief  will  punish  a  murder, 
but  he  himself  Avill  commit  many  murders.  He  thinks  him- 
self redeemed,  because  he  has  paid  God  the  price  in  punish- 
ing one  man  ;  but  he  lets  go  others,  who  have  been  his  ac- 
complices, and  he  himself  hesitates  not  to  commit  many  un- 
just murders.     Since,  then,  hypocrites  thus  mock  God,  the 


52  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  II. 

Prophet  now  justly  shakes  off  such  senselessness,  and  says,  / 
will  avenge  these  slaughters.  "  Do  ye  think  it  a  deed  worthy  of 
praise  in  Jehu,  to  destroy  and  root  out  the  house  of  Ahab  ? 
I  indeed  commanded  it  to  be  done,  but  he  turned  the  ven- 
geance enjoined  on  him  to  another  end."  How  so  ?  Because 
he  became  a  robber ;  for  he  did  not  punish  the  sins  of  Ahab, 
because  he  did  the  same  himself  to  the  «id  of  life,  and  con- 
tinued to  do  the  same  in  his  posterity,  for  Jeroboam  was  the 
fourth  from  him  in  the  kingdom.  "  Since,  then,  Jehu  did  not 
change  the  condition  of  the  country,  and  ye  have  ever 
been  obstinate  in  your  wickedness,  I  will  avenge  these 
slaughters.'' 

This  is  a  remarkable  passage ;  for  it  shows  that  it  is  not 
enough,  nay,  that  it  is  of  no  moment,  that  a  man  should  con- 
duct himself  honourably  before  men,  except  he  possesses  also 
an  upright  and  sincere  heart.  He  then  who  punishes  evil 
deeds  in  others,  ought  himself  to  abstain  from  them,  and  to 
measure  the  same  justice  to  himself  as  he  does  to  others  ; 
for  he  who  takes  to  himself  a  liberty  to  sin,  and  yet  punishes 
others,  provokes  against  himself  the  wrath  of  God. 

We  now  then  perceive  the  true  sense  of  this  sentence,  / 
ivill  avenge  the  slaughters  of  Jezreel,  to  be  this,  that  he  would 
avenge  the  slaughters  made  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel  on  the 
house  of  Jehu.  It  is  added,  and  I  ivill  abolish  the  kingdom  of 
the  house  of  Israel.  The  house  of  Israel  he  calls  that  which 
had  separated  from  the  family  of  David,  as  though  he  said, 
"  This  is  a  separated  house."  God  had  indeed  joined  the 
whole  people  together,  and  they  became  one  body.  It  was 
torn  asunder  under  Jeroboam.  This  was  God's  dreadful 
judgment ;  for  it  was  the  same  as  if  the  people,  like  a  torn 
body,  had  been  cut  into  two  parts.  But  God,  however,  had 
hitherto  preserved  these  two  parts,  as  though  they  Avere  but 
one  body,  and  would  have  become  the  Kedeemer  of  both 
people,  had  not  a  base  defection  followed.  And  the  Israelites 
having  become,  as  it  were,  putrified,  so  as  now  to  be  no  part 
of  his  chosen  people,  our  Prophet,  by  way  of  contempt  and 
reproach,  rightly  calls  thera  the  house  of  Israel.  It  now 
follows — 


CHAP.  I.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  53 

5.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at  6.  Et  erit  in  die  ilia  et  conteram 
that  day,  that  I  will  break  the  bow  arcum  (vel^  confringam)  Israel  in 
of  Israel  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel.        valle  Jizreel. 

This  verse  was  intentionally  added ;  for  the  Israelites  were 
so  inflated  with  their  present  good  fortune,  that  they  laughed 
at  the  judgment  denounced.  They  indeed  knew  that  they 
were  well  furnished  with  arms,  and  men,  and  money  ;  in 
short,  they  thought  themselves  in  every  way  unassailable. 
Hence  the  Prophet  declares,  that  all  this  could  not  prevent 
God  from  punishing  them.  "  Ye  are,"  he  says,  "  inflated 
with  pride ;  ye  set  up  your  valour  against  God,  thinking 
yourselves  strong  in  arms  and  in  power ;  and  because  ye  are 
military  men,  ye  think  that  God  can  do  nothing ;  and  yet 
your  bows  cannot  restrain  his  hand  from  destroying  you." 
But  when  he  says,  /  icill  break  the  bow,  he  mentions  a  part 
for  the  whole  ;  for  under  one  sort  he  comprehends  every  kind 
of  arms.  But  as  to  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view,  we  sec 
that  his  only  object  was  to  break  down  their  false  confidence ; 
for  the  Israelites  thought  that  they  should  not  be  exposed  to 
the  destruction  which  Hosea  had  predicted ;  for  they  were 
dazzled  with  their  own  power,  and  thought  themselves  be- 
yond the  reach  of  any  danger,  while  they  were  so  well  forti- 
fied on  every  side.  Hence  the  Prophet  says,  that  all  their 
fortresses  would  be  nothing  against  God ;  for  m  that  day, 
when  the  ripe  time  for  vengeance  shall  come,  the  Lord  will 
break  all  their  bows,  he  will  tear  in  pieces  all  their  arms,  and 
reduce  to  nothing  their  power. 

We  are  here  warned  ever  to  take  heed,  lest  any  thing 
should  lead  us  to  a  torpid  state  when  God  threatens  us. 
Though  we  may  have  strength,  though  fortune  (so  to  speak) 
may  smile  on  us,  though,  in  a  word,  the  whole  world  should 
combine  to  secure  our  safety,  yet  there  is  no  reason  why  we 
should  felicitate  ourselves,  when  God  declares  himself  op- 
posed to  and  angry  with  us.  Why  so  ?  Because,  as  he  can 
preserve  us  when  unarmed  whenever  he  pleases,  so  he  can 
spoil  us  of  all  our  arms,  and  reduce  our  power  to  nothing. 
Let  this  verse  then  come  to  our  minds  whenever  God  terri- 
fies us  by  his  threatenings ;  and  what  it  teaches  us  is,  that 
he  can  take  away  all  the  defences  in  which  we  vainly  trust. 


54  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  II. 

Now,  as  Jezreel  was  the  metropolis  of  the  kingdom,  the 
Prophet  distinctly  mentions  the  place,  I  will  break  in  pieces 
the  how  of  Israel  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel ;  that  is,  the  Lord  sees 
what  sort  of  fortress  there  is  in  Saraaria,  in  Jezreel ;  but  he 
will  make  an  end  of  you  there,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  land. 
Ye  think  that  you  have  there  a  place  of  safety  and  a  firm 
position  ;  but  the  Lord  will  bring  you  to  nothing  even  in 
the  valley  of  Jezreel.     It  follows — 

6.  Aiid  she  conceived  6.  Et  concepit  adlmc  (coiicepit  rursum)  et  pe- 

again,  andbare  a  daugh-  perit  filiarn  :  et  dixit  ei,  Voca  nomcn  ejus  Lo- 

ter.    And  God  said  unto  rucliama,  (/?oc  es<,  non  adepta  misericordiam, 

liim,  Call  hev  name  Lo-  vel^  non  dilecta  :  sic  enim  Grceci  verterunt^  et 

rubamah,  for  I  will  no  Paulus  seqimtus  est  illam  receptam  versionem 

more  have  mercy  upon  cajnte  6,  ad  Rom. :)  quia  non  adjiciam  amplius 

the  house  of  Israel,  but  ut    misericordia  persequar    {pel.,  ut  diligam) 

I  will  utterly  take  them  domum  Israel,  quia  toUendo  toUam  eos. 
away. 

The  Prophet  shows  in  this  verse  that  things  were  become 
worse  and  worse  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  that  they  sinned, 
keeping  within  no  limits,  that  they  rushed  headlong  into  the 
extremes  of  impiety.  He  has  already  told  us,  by  calling 
them  Jezreelltes,  that  they  were  from  the  beginning  rejected 
and  degenerate ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Your  origin  has 
nothing  commendable  in  it ;  ye  think  yourselves  to  be  very 
eminent,  because  ye  derive  your  descent  from  holy  Jacob ; 
but  ye  are  spurious  children,  born  of  a  harlot :  a  brothel  is 
not  the  house  of  Abraham,  nor  is  the  house  of  Abraham  a 
brothel.  Ye  are  then  the  offspring  of  debauchery."  But  he 
now  goes  farther  and  says,  that  as  time  advanced,  they  had 
ever  been  falling  into  a  worse  state ;  for  this  word,  Lo- 
ruchamah,  is  a  more  disgraceful  name  than  Jezreel :  and 
the  Lord  also  denounces  here  his  vengeance  more  openly, 
when  he  says, 

/  will  no  more  add  to  pursue  loith  mercy  the  house  of  Israel. 
DHI,  rechcm,  means  to  pity,  and  also  to  love  :  but  this 
second  meaning  is  derived  from  the  other  ;  for  DHI,  rechem,  is 
not  simply  to  love,  but  to  show  gratuitous  favour.  By  calling 
the  daughter,  then,  Lo-ruchamah,  God  intimates  that  his 
favour  was  now  taken  away  from  the  people.  We  know, 
indeed,  that  the  people  had  been  freely  chosen ;  for  if  the 


CHAP.  I.  6.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  55 

cause  of  adoption  be  inquired  for,  it  must  be  said  to  have 
been  the  mere  mercy  and  goodness  of  God.  Now  then  God, 
in  repudiating  the  people,  says,  "  Ye  are  like  a  daughter 
whom  her  father  casts  away  and  disowns,  because  he  deems 
her  unworthy  of  his  favour."  We  now,  then,  comprehend 
the  design  of  the  Prophet;  for,  after  having  shown  the 
Israelites  to  have  been  from  the  beginning  spurious,  and 
not  the  true  children  of  Abraham,  he  now  adds,  that,  in 
course  of  time,  they  had  become  so  corrupt,  that  God  would 
now  utterly  disown  them,  and  woiild  no  longer  deem  them 
as  his  house.  He,  therefore,  charges  them  with  something 
more  grievous  than  before,  by  saying,  '  Call  this  daughter 
Lo-ruchamah ;'  for  she  was  born  after  Jezreel.  Plere  he 
describes  by  degrees  the  state  of  the  people,  that  it  con- 
tinually degenerated.  Though  they  were  at  the  beginning 
depraved ;  but  they  were  now,  after  the  lapse  of  some  time, 
utterly  unworthy  of  God's  favour. 

I  will  no  more  add,  he  says,  to  -pursue  with  favour  the  house 
of  Israel.  God  here  shows  what  constant  forbearance  he  had 
exercised  towards  this  people.  /  will  no  more  add,  he  says  ; 
as  though  the  Lord  had  said,  "  I  do  not  now  sally  forth  at  the 
first  heat  of  wrath  to  take  vengeance  on  you,  as  passionate 
men  are  wont  to  do,  who  seize  the  sword  as  soon  as  any 
affront  is  given  ;  I  become  not  so  suddenly  hot  with  anger. 
1  have,  therefore,  hitherto  borne  with  you ;  but  now  your 
obstinacy  is  intolerable ;  I  will  not  then  bear  Avith  you 
any  more."  The  Prophet,  as  we  see,  evidently  intimates 
that  the  Israelites  had  very  long  abused  the  Lord's  mercy, 
while  he  spared  them,  so  that  now  the  ripe  time  of  vengeance 
had  come ;  for  the  Lord  had,  for  many  years,  showed  his 
favour  to  them,  though  they  never  ceased  at  any  time  to 
seek  destruction  to  themselves.  Hence  we  learn,  as  stated 
yesterday,  that  the  Prophet's  vehemence  was  not  hasty  :  for 
God  had  before  given  warnings,  more  than  sufficient,  to  the 
Israelites ;  he  had  also  forgiven  them  many  sins ;  he  had 
borne  with  them  until  the  state  of  things  proved  that  thc}'^ 
were  altogether  incurable.  Since,  then,  the  forbearance  of 
God  produced  no  effect  on  them,  it  was  necessary  to 
come   to   this    last   remedy,   that   the   Lord  should,   as   it 


5(5  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  II. 

were,  with  a  drawn  sword,  appear  as  a  judge  to  take  ven- 
geance. 

He  afterwards  says,  DH?  ^^2J^^^  X'lSJ'i  ""Dj  ^i  neshua  asha 
lem.  This  sentence  is  variously  explained.  Some  think 
that  the  verb  js  derived  from  the  root  Ht^ij  neshe,  with  a 
final  ri,  f^e ;  which  means  to  forget,  as  though  it  was  said, 
"  By  forgetting,  I  will  forget  them  ;"  and  the  sense  is  not 
unsuitable.  The  Chaldean  paraphraser  wholly  departs  from 
this  meaning,  for  he  renders  the  clause,  "  By  sparing,  I  will 
spare  them."  There  is  no  reason  for  this ;  for  God,  as  the 
context  clearly  shows,  does  not  yet  promise  pardon  to  them  ; 
this  meaning,  then,  cannot  stand.  They  come  nearer  to  the 
design  of  the  Prophet  who  thus  translate,  "  I  will  bring  to 
them,"  that  is,  the  enemy ;  for  ^vtJ^i,  Jiesha,  signifies  to  take, 
and  also  to  bring  into  the  middle.  But  I  prefer  embracing 
their  opinion  who  consider  that  QnS  ^^^n,  is  placed  here  for 
DniXj  autem ;  for  the  servile  letter  7,  lamed,  has  often  the 
same  meaning  with  the  particle  H^^j  at^  which  is  prefixed  to 
an  objective  case.  Then  the  rendering  is,  literally  given, 
"  For,  by  taking  away,  I  will  take  them  away : "  and  the 
Hebrews  often  use  this  mode  of  speaking,  and  the  sense  is 
plainer,  "  By  taking  away,  I  will  take  them  away."  Some 
render  the  passage,  ''  I  will  burn  them  ;"  bat  this  explana- 
tion is  rather  harsh.  I  am  satisfied  with  the  meaning,  to 
take,  but  I  understand  it  in  the  sense  of  taking  away.  Then 
it  is,  "  By  taking  away,  I  will  take  them  away."  ^ 

And  this  is  what  the  following  verse  confirms ;  for  Avhen 


'  Though  Newcome  and  others  agree  Avith  Calviu  in  this  sense,  yet  I 
stUl  believe  that  the  true  rendering  is  that  which  is  substantially  given 

in  the  naargin  of  our  version.  The  verb  here  used,  when  followed  by  7, 
does  not  mean  to  take  away,  but  to  pardon,  to  forgive,  and  the  particle 
*^  is  sometimes  rendered,  that,  so  that,  ut.  Then  the  two  lines  may  be 
thus  translated : — 

"  I  will  no  more  show  mercy  to  the  house  of  Israel, 
That  by  pardoning  I  should  pardon  them." 

The  main  drift  of  the  passage  is  still  the  same  with  what  is  assigned 
to  it  by  Calvin.  The  version  of  Bishop  Horsley  favom's  what  I  have 
otfered  :  he  renders  the  last  line  thus : — 

"  Insomuch  as  to  be  perpetually  forgiving  them." 


CHAP.  I.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  57 

the  Prophet  speaks  of  the  house  of  Judcah,  the  Lord  says, 
"  With  mercy  will  I  follow  the  house  of  Judah,  and  will 
save  them."  The  Prophet  sets  "  to  save"  and  "  to  take 
away"  in  opposition  the  one  to  the  other. 

We  may  then  learn  by  the  context  what  he  meant  by 
these  words,  and  that  is,  that  Israel  had  hitherto  stood 
through  the  Lord's  mercy ;  as  though  he  said,  "  How  has  it 
happened  that  ye  continue  as  yet  alive  ?  Do  you  think 
yourselves  to  be  safe  through  your  own  valour  ?  Nay, 
my  mercy  has  hitherto  preserved  you.  Now,  then,  when  I 
shall  withdraw  my  favour  from  you,  your  ruin  will  be  in- 
evitable ;  you  must  necessarily  perish,  and  be  brought  to 
nothing  :  for  as  I  have  hitherto  preserved  you,  so  I  will 
utterly  tear  you  away  and  destroy  you."  A  profitable  lesson 
may  be  farther  gathered  from  this  passage,  and  that  is,  that 
hypocrites  deceive  themselves  when  they  boast  of  the  present 
favour  of  God,  and,  at  the  same  time,  exult  without  any  fear 
against  him  ;  for  as  God  for  a  time  spares  and  tolerates  them, 
so  he  can  justly  destroy  and  reduce  them  to  nothing.  But 
the  next  verse  must  be  also  joined. 

7.    But   I   will    have    mei'cy  7.  Et  domum  Jehudah  raiscricordia 

upon  the  house  of  Judah,  and  prosequar,  {vel^  favore ;  vel^  dlligam  : 

will    save    them    by    the    Lord  cUximus  enim  jam  de  /loc  verba,)  et 

their   God,   and   will  not   save  servabo  eos  in  Jehova  Deo  ipsorum, 

them  by    bow,   nor   by  sword,  et  non  servabo  eos  in  arcu,  neque  in 

nor  by  battle,   by  horses,  nor  gladio,  neque  in  prelio,  neqiie  in  equis, 

by  horsemen.  neque  in  ecpiitibus. 

This  verse  sufficiently  proves  what  I  said  yesterday,  that 
the  Prophet  was  specifically  appointed  to  the  kingdom  of  Is- 
rael ;  for  he  seems  here  to  speak  favourably  of  the  Jews, 
{blandiri — to  compliment,)  who  yet,  we  know,  had  been 
severely  and  deservedly  reproved  by  their  own  teachers. 
For  what  does  Isaiah  say,  after  having  spoken  of  the  dread- 
ful corruptions  which  then  prevailed  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel  ? 
'■  Come,'  he  says,  '  into  the  house  of  Judah,  they  at  least 
continue  as  yet  pure  :  there,'  he  says,  '  all  the  tables  are  full 
of  vomiting ;  they  ai*e  drunken  ;  there  reigns  also  the  con- 
tempt of  God  and  all  impiety,'  (Isa.  xxviii.  8.)  We  see  then 
that  the  Jews  were  not  a  virtuous  people,  of  whom  the  Pro- 
phet has  spoken  so  honourably.     For  though  the  exterior 


58  THE  TWELVE  MIXOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  II. 

worship  of  God  continued  at  Jei'usalem,  and  the  temple,  at 
least  under  Uzziah  and  Jotham,  was  free  from  every  super- 
stition, and  also  under  king  Hezekiah  ;  yet  the  morals  of 
the  people,  we  know,  were  very  corrupt.  Avarice,  and 
cruelty,  and  every  kind  of  fraud,  reigned  there,  and  also  filthy 
lusts.  The  conduct,  then,  of  that  people  was  nothing  better 
than  that  of  the  Israelites.  Why,  then,  does  the  Prophet 
dignify  them  with  so  great  an  honour  as  to  exempt  them 
from  God's  vengeance?  Because  he  had  an  eye  to  the 
people  to  whom  he  was  appointed  a  Prophet.  He  therefore 
institutes  a  comparison.  He  interferes  not  with  the  Jews, 
for  he  knew  that  they  had  faithful  pastors  who  reproved  their 
sins  ;  but  he  continued  among  his  own  hearers.  But  this 
comparison  served,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  touch  the  hearts 
of  the  people  of  Israel ;  for  the  Prophet,  we  know,  made  this 
reference  particularly  for  this  end,  to  condemn  fictitious  wor- 
ship. He  now  sets  the  worship  at  Jerusalem  in  opposition 
to  all  those  superstitions  which  Jeroboam  first  introduced, 
which  Ahab  increased,  and  all  their  posterity  followed. 
Hence  he  says,  I  will  shoio  favour  to  the  house  of  Judah. 

That  we  may  better  understand  the  mind  of  the  Prophet, 
it  may  be  well  to  repeat  what  we  said  yesterday  : — The  king- 
dom of  Judah  was  then  miserably  wasted.  The  kingdom  of 
Israel  had  ten  tribes,  the  kingdom  of  Judah  only  one  and  a 
half,  and  it  was  also  diminished  by  many  slaughters ;  yea, 
the  Israelites  had  spoiled  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  had 
taken  all  the  gold  and  silver  they  found  there.  The  Jcavs, 
then,  had  been  reduced  to  a  very  low  state,  they  hardly 
dared  to  mutter ;  but  the  Israelites,  as  our  Prophet  will  here- 
after tell  us,  were  like  beasts  well  fed.  Since,  then,  they 
despised  the  Jews,  who  seemed  despicable  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world,  the  Prophet  beats  down  this  vain  confidence,  and  says, 
With  mercy  tvill  I  folloiv  the  house  of  Judah.  "  The  house  ol 
Judah  seems  now  to  be  almost  nothing,  for  they  are  few  in 
number,  nor  are  they  very  strong,  and  Avealth  abounds  not 
among  them  as  among  you ;  but  with  them  shall  dwell  my 
favour,  and  I  will  take  it  away  from  you." 

It  afterwards  follows.  And  I  will  save  them  hy  Jehovah  their 
God.     Salvation  is  here  set  in  opposition  to  the  destruction 


CHAP.  I.  7.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  59 

which  the  Prophet  mentioned  in  the  last  verse.  But  Hosea 
shows  that  salvation  depends  not  in  the  least  either  on  arms 
or  on  any  of  the  intervenients/  as  they  say,  of  this  world ; 
but  has  its  foundation  only  on  God's  favour.  /  loill  save 
therrij  he  says — why  ?  because  my  favour  loill  I  show  them. 
This  connection  ought  to  be  carefully  noticed.  Where  the 
Lord's  favour  is,  there  is  life.  '  Thou  art  our  God,  then  we 
shall  never  perish,'  as  it  is  written  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Habakkuk.  Hence  the  Prophet  here  connects  salvation 
with  God's  gratuitous  favour;  for  we  cannot  continue  safe, 
but  as  long  as  God  is  propitious  to  us.  He  has,  on  the  other 
hand,  declared  that  it  would  be  all  over  with  the  Israelites 
as  soon  as  God  would  take  aAvay  from  them  his  favour. 

But  he  says,  By  Jehovah  their  God.  An  antithesis  is  to 
be  understood  here  between  the  false  gods  and  Jehovah, 
who  was  the  God  of  the  house  of  Judah.  It  is  the  same  as 
though  the  Prophet  said,  "  Ye  indeed  profess  the  name  of 
God,  but  ye  worship  the  devil  and  not  God :  for  ye  have 
nothing  to  do  with  Jehovah,  with  the  God  who  is  the  creator 
and  maker  of  heaven  and  earth ;  for  he  dwells  in  his  own 
temple ;  he  pledged  his  faith  to  David,  when  he  commanded 
him  to  build  a  temple  for  him  on  mount  Zion ;  he  dwells 
there  between  the  cherubims,  as  the  Prophets  invariably  de- 
clare :  but  the  true  God  is  become  exiled  from  you."  We 
hence  see  how  he  condemns  here  all  the  worship  which  the 
Israelites  then  so  highly  valued.  Why  did  he  do  so  ?  Be- 
cause it  was  not  acceptable  to  God. 

And  this  passage  deserves  to  be  noticed,  for  we  see  how 
stupid  men  are  in  this  respect.  When  once  they  are  per- 
suaded that  they  worship  God,  they  are  seized  by  some  fas- 
cination of  Satan,  so  as  to  become  delighted  with  all  their 
own  dotages,  as  we  see  to  be  the  case  at  this  day  with  the 
Papists,  who  are  not  only  insane,  but  doubly  frantic.  If  any 
one  reproves  them  and  says,  that  they  worship  not  the  true 
God,  they  are  instantly  on  fire — "  What !  does  not  God  ac- 

'  Mediis — media,  means.  Wc  use  medium,  but  not  media  ;  and  yet 
■we  have  no  word  as  a  substitute.  "  Intervenients, "  perhaps,  is  the  most 
iutcUigible  word  to  the  English  reader. — Ed. 


60  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  HI. 

cept  our  worship?"  But  the  Prophet  here  shows  by  one 
word  that  Jehovah  is  not  in  any  place,  except  where  he  is 
rightly  worshipped  according  to  the  rule  of  his  word.  Iioill 
save  them,  he  says — How?  By  Jehovah  their  God;  and  God 
himself  speaks :  ,He  might  have  said,  "  I  will  save  them  by 
myself;"  but  it  was  not  without  reason  that  he  used  this 
circuitous  mode  of  speaking;  it  was  to  show  the  Israelites 
that  they  had  no  reason  to  think  that  God  would  be  propi- 
tious to  them.  How  so  ?  Because  God  had  chosen  an  habi- 
tation for  himself  on  mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem.  A  fuller 
declaration  afterwards  follows,  I  will  save  them  neither  hy  the 
bow,  nor  by  the  sword,  nor  hy  war,  nor  by  horses,  nor  hy  horse- 
men. But  this  clause,  by  God's  favour,  I  will  explain  to- 
morrow. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  were  fi'om  our  beginning  lost, 
when  thou  Avert  pleased  to  extend  to  us  thy  hand,  and  to  re- 
store us  to  salvation  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son ;  and  that  as  we 
continue  even  daQy  to  run  headlong  to  our  own  ruin, — O  graiat 
that  we  may  not,  by  sinning  so  often,  so  pi-ovoke  at  length  thy 
displeasure  as  to  cause  thee  to  take  away  fi'om  us  the  mercy 
which  thou  hast  hitherto  exercised  towards  us,  and  through 
which  thou  hast  adopted  us :  but  by  thy  Spirit  destroy  the 
wickedness  of  our  heart,  and  restore  us  to  a  sound  mind,  that 
we  may  ever  cleave  to  thee  with  a  true  and  sincere  heart,  that 
being  fortified  by  thy  defence,  we  may  continue  safe  even 
amidst  all  kinds  of  danger,  until  at  length  thou  gatherest  us 
into  that  blessed  rest,  which  has  been  prepared  for  us  in  heaven 
by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

%tc\\xvt  Sri^trti. 

We  have  to  explain  first  this  clause,  Itvill  save  the  house  of 
Judahneitherhy  thehow,  nor  hythe  sivord,  nor  hy  tear, nor  hy  horses, 
nor  by  horsemen.  TVHiat  the  Prophet  had  touched  upon  before 
is  here  more  clearly  expressed,  and  that  is,  that  God  has  no 
need  of  foreign  aids,  for  he  is  content  with  his  own  power. 
But  Hosea  continues  his  contrast ;  for  the  people  of  Israel, 
as  they  possessed  much  carnal  power,  thought  themselves,  as 
they  say,  beyond  the  reach  of  darts :  but  the  kingdom  of 


CHAP.  I.  8,  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  61 


Judah  was  exposed  to  all  dangers,  as  it  was  not  powerful  In 
forces  and  arms.  This  folly  the  Prophet  exposes  to  con- 
tempt, and  says,  that  safety  is  dependant  on  God  alone,  that 
men  in  vain  trust  in  their  own  valour,  and  that  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  needy  and  destitute  should  despair  of  their 
safety,  as  God  alone  is  abundantly  sufficient  to  preserve  the 
faithful.  The  meaning  then  is,  that  though  the  destitute 
condition  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah  was  an  object  of  contempt 
to  all,  yet  this  would  be  no  obstacle,  that  it  should  not  be 
preserved  through  God's  favour,  though  it  obtained  no  aid 
from  men.  And  let  us  learn  from  this  place,  that  we  are 
not  so  preserved  by  the  Lord,  that  he  never  employs  any 
natural  means ;  and  further,  that  when  he  has  no  recourse  to 
them,  he  is  abundantly  sufficient  to  secure  our  safety.  We 
ought  then  so  to  ascribe  our  safety  to  the  Lord  as  not  to 
think  that  any  thing  comes  to  us  through  ourselves,  or 
through  angels,  or  through  men.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

8.  Now  when  she  had  weaned  8.  Et  ablactavit  Lo-ruchama,  et 
Lo-nihamah,  she  conceived,  and     concepit  et  peperit  filiam. 

bare  a  son.  9.  Et  dixit,  Vocanomen  ejus,  Non 

9.  Then  said  God^  Call  his  name  popuhis  mens,  (Lo-ammi :)  quia  vos 
Lo-ammi :  for  ye  are  not  my  non  populus  mens,  et  ego  non  ero 
people,  and  I  will  not  be  your  God.  vobis  {hoc  est,  non  ero  vester.) 

The  weaning  the  Prophet  mentions  here  is  by  some  un- 
derstood all egoric ally ;  as  though  he  said,  that  the  people 
would  for  a  time  be  deprived  of  prophecies,  and  of  the  priest- 
hood, and  of  other  spiritual  gifts :  but  this  is  frigid.  The 
Prophet  here,  I  have  no  doubt,  sets  forth  the  patience  of 
God  towards  that  people.  The  Lord  then,  before  he  had 
uttei'ly  cast  away  the  Israelites,  waited  patiently  for  their 
repentance,  if,  indeed,  there  was  any  hope  for  it;  but  when  he 
found  them  be  ever  like  themselves,  he  then  at  length  pro- 
ceeded to  the  last  punishment.  Hence  Hosea  says,  that  the 
daughter,  who  was  the  second  child,  was  weaned ;  as  though 
he  said,  that  the  people  of  Israel  had  not  been  suddenly  cast 
away,  for  God  had  with  long  patience  borne  with  them,  and 
thus  suspended  heavier  judgment,  until,  having  found  their 
wickedness  to  be  unhealable,  he  at  length  commenced  what 
follows,  Call  the  third  child  Lo-ammi. 


€2  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROrHETS.  LECT.  III. 

The  reason  is  added,  For  ye  are  not  my  'people^  and  I  will 
not  hereafter  be  yours.  This,  as  I  have  said,  is  the  final  dis- 
owning of  them.  They  had  been  before  called  Jezreelites, 
and  then  by  the  name  of  the  daughter  God  testified  that  he 
was  alienated  from  them ;  but  now  the  third  name  is  still 
more  grievous,  Ye  are  not  my  people ;  for  God  here  abolishes, 
in  a  manner,  the  covenant  he  made  with  the  holy  fathers,  so 
that  the  people  would  cease  to  have  any  pre-eminence  over 
other  nations.  So  then  the  Israelites  were  reduced  to  a  con- 
dition in  which  they  differed  nothing  fi-om  the  profane 
Gentiles ;  and  thus  God  wholly  disinherited  them.  The 
Prophet,  doubtless,  was  not  well  received,  when  he  denied 
them  to  be  God's  people,  who  had  yet  descended  from 
Abraham  according  to  the  flesh,  who  had  ever  been  so 
accounted,  and  who  continued  proudly  to  boast  of  their 
election. 

But  let  us  hence  learn,  that  those  awfully  mistake  who  are 
blind  to  their  ow^n  vices,  because  God  spares  and  indulges 
them.  For  we  must  ever  remember  what  I  have  said  before, 
that  the  kingdom  of  Isi'ael  was  then  opulent ;  and  yet  the 
Prophet  denies  them,  who  flourished  in  strength,  and  power, 
and  riches,  to  be  God's  people.  There  is  then  no  reason  for 
hypocrites  to  felicitate  themselves  in  prosperity ;  but  they 
ought,  on  the  contrary,  to  have  regard  to  God's  judgment. 
But  though  these,  as  we  see  to  be  the  case,  heedlessly  despise 
God,  yet  this  passage  reminds  us  carefully  to  beware  lest  we 
abuse  the  present  favours  of  God.     It  follows — 

10.  Yet  the  number  of  the  child-  10.  Et  erit  numerus  filiorum  Israel 
ren  of  Israel  shall  be  as  thesaud  tanquam  arena  maris,  quai  uou  raen- 
of  the  sea,  -which  cannot  bemea-  suratur  et  non  uumeratur,  (non  men- 
sured  nor  numbered ;  and  it  shall  surabitur  nee  numerabitur,  ad  verbum, 
come  to  pass,  that  in  the  place  sed  significant  hcec  verba  actum  con- 
where  it  was  said  unto  them,  iinuum^  et  est  indefinita  etiamlocutio ;) 
Ye  are  not  my  people,  there  it  et  erit  in  loco  nbi  dicetm*,  (Jioc  est,  ubi 
shall  be  said  unto  them.  Ye  are  dictum  fuerit  eis,)  Non  populus  meus 
the  sons  of  the  living  God.  vos  ;    et  dicetm-  {hoc  est,  illic  dicetur) 

Filii  Dei  vivi. 

Now  follows  consolation,  yet  not  unmixed.  God  seems 
here  to  meet  the  objections  Avhich  we  know  hypocrites  had 
in  readiness,  whenever  the  Prophets  denounced  destruction  on 


CHAP.  I.  10.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  ROSEA.  63 

them ;  for  they  accused  God  of  being  unfaithful  if  he  did  not 
save  them.  Arrogating  to  themselves  the  title  of  Church, 
they  concluded  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  perish, 
for  God  Avould  not  be  untrue  in  his  promises.  "  Why  !  God 
has  promised  that  his  Church  shall  be  for  ever :  we  are  his 
Church ;  then  we  are  safe,  for  God  cannot  deny  himself."  In 
what  they  took  as  granted  they  w^ere  deceived ;  for  though 
they  usurped  the  title  of  Church,  they  were  yet  ahenated 
from  God.  We  see  that  the  Papists  swell  with  this  pride  at 
this  day.  To  excuse  all  their  errors,  they  set  up  against  us 
this  shield,  "  Christ  promised  to  be  with  his  own  to  the  end 
of  the  world.  Can  the  spouse  desert  his  Church  ?  Can  the 
Son  of  God,  who  is  the  eternal  Truth  of  the  Father,  fail  in 
liis  faithfulness  ?"  The  Papists  magnificently  extol  the  fiiith- 
fulness  of  Christ,  that  they  may  bind  him  to  themselves  : 
but  at  the  same  time,  they  consider  not  that  they  are  covenant- 
breakers  ;  they  consider  not  that  they  are  manifestly  the 
enemies  of  God ;  they  consider  not  that  they  have  divorced 
themselves  from  him. 

The  Prophet,  therefore,  seeing  that  he  had  to  do  with 
proud  men,  who  were  wont  to  arraign  the  justice  of  God, 
says.  The  number  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  he  as  the  sand 
of  the  sea ;  that  is,  "  When  the  Lord  shall  cut  you  off,  still 
safe  will  remain  this  promise  which  was  given  to  Abraham ; 
^  Look  at  the  stars  of  heaven,  number,  if  thou  canst,  the  sand 
of  the  sea ;  so  shall  thy  seed  be,"  (Gen.  xxii.  5.)  We  indeed 
know,  that  whenever  the  Prophets  severely  reproved  the 
people  and  denounced  destruction,  this  was  ever  opposed  to 
them,  ''  What !  can  it  be  that  the  Lord  will  destroy  us  ? 
What  would  then  become  of  this  promise.  Thy  seed  shall  be 
as  the  stars  of  heaven  and  as  the  sand  of  the  sea  ?"  Hence 
the  Prophet  here  checks  this  vain-confidence,  by  which  hypo- 
crites supported  themselves  against  all  threatenings,  "Though 
God  may  cut  you  off,  he  will  yet  continue  true  and  faithful 
to  the  promise,  that  Abraham's  seed  shall  be  innumerable  as 
the  sand  of  the  sea." 

I  indeed  admit  that  the  Prophet  here  gave  hope  of  salva- 
tion to  the  faithful  ;  for  it  is  certain  that  there  were  some 
remaining  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.     Though   the   whole 


64  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  III. 

body  liad  revolted,  yet  God,  as  it  was  said  to  Elijah,  had 
preserved  to  himself  some  seed.  The  Prophet  then  was 
unwilling  to  leave  the  faithful,  who  remained  among  that 
lost  people,  without  hope  of  salvation ;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
he  had  regard  to  hypocrites,  as  we  have  already  stated.  We 
now  see  the  design  of  the  Prophet,  for  he  teaches  that  there 
would  be  such  a  vengeance  as  he  had  spoken  of,  though 
God  would  not  yet  be  forgetful  of  his  word;  he  teaches 
that  there  would  be  such  a  casting  away  of  the  people, 
though  God's  election  would  yet  remain  firm  and  unchange- 
able ;  in  short,  he  teaches  that  the  adoption  by  which  God 
had  chosen  the  offspring  of  Abraham  as  his  people  would  not 
be  void.  This  is  the  import  of  the  whole.  Then  the  num- 
ber of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
which  is  not  to  be  measured  nor  numbered. 

He  afterwards  adds,  And  it  shall  be  in  the  place  ichere  it  had 
been  said  to  them,  (shall  be  said,  literally,)  Ye  are  not  my 
people ;  there  it  shall  be  said,  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the  living  God. 
It  has  been  asked,  whether  this  prophecy  belongs  to  the  pos- 
terity of  those  who  had  been  dispersed.  This,  indeed,  would 
be  strange ;  for  so  long  a  time  has  passed  away  since  their 
exile,  and  dejected  and  broken,  they  dwell  at  this  day  in 
mountains  and  in  other  desert  places  ;  at  least  many  of  them 
are  in  the  mountains  of  Armenia,  some  are  in  Media  and 
Chaldea  ;  in  short,  throughout  the  whole  of  the  East.  And 
since  there  has  been  no  restoration  of  this  people,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  this  prophecy  ought  not  to  be  restricted  to  seed 
according  to  the  flesh.  For  there  was  a  prescribed  time  for 
the  Jews,  when  the  Lord  purposed  to  restore  them  to  their 
country  ;  and,  at  the  end  of  seventy  years,  a  free  return  Avas 
granted  them  by  Cyrus.  Then  Hosea  speaks  not  here  of  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  but  of  the  Church,  which  was  to  be  re- 
stored by  a  return,  composed  both  of  Jews  and  of  Gentiles. 
So  Paul,  a  fit  interpreter  of  this  passage,  reminds  us,  '  Whom 
he  has  called,  not  only  of  the  Jews,  but  also  of  the  Gentiles  ; 
as  he  says  by  Hosea,  I  will  call  a  people,  who  were  not 
mine,  my  people  ;  and  her  beloved,  who  was  not  beloved  : 
and  it  shall  be,  where  it  had  been  said  to  them,  Ye  are  not 
my  people ;  there  shall  they  be  called  the  sons  of  the  living 


CHAP.  I.  10.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  65 

God,'  (Eom.  ix.  24,  &c.)  Paul  applies  this  passage,  and 
that  rightly,  to  the  whole  body  of  the  faithful,  collected  with- 
out any  diflference,  from  the  Jews  as  well  as  from  the  Gen- 
tiles :  for  otherwise,  as  we  have  said,  the  correctness  and 
truth  of  prophecy  would  not  be  evident :  and  this  view  also 
agrees  best  with  the  design  of  the  Prophet  which  I  have  just 
explained.  For,  since  hypocrites  in  a  manner  tie  to  them- 
selves the  power  of  God,  the  Prophet  says,  that  God  can,  if 
he  chooses,  raise  up  in  an  instant  a  new  Church,  which  would 
exceed  in  number  the  sand  of  the  sea.  How  so  ?  God  will 
create  a  Church  for  himself.  From  what?  From  stones, 
from  nothing:  for,  as  Paul  says  elsewhere,  'he  calls  those 
things  Avhich  are  not,  as  though  they  were,'  (Rom.  iv.  17.) 
At  the  same  time,  God,  as  it  has  been  said,  by  his  goodness 
contended  with  the  wickedness  of  that  people ;  for  though 
they  rejected  his  favour,  yea,  and  obstinately  thrust  it  away 
from  themselves,  yet  such  perverseness  did  not  hinder  the 
Lord  from  preserving  a  remnant  for  himself. 

Now,  this  passage  teaches,  that  they  are  very  perverted  in 
their  notions,  who,  by  their  own  feelings,  form  a  judgment 
of  the  state  of  the  Church,  and  accuse  God  of  being  un- 
faithful, when  its  external  appearance  does  not  correspond 
with  their  opinion.  So  the  Papists  think ;  for  except  they 
see  the  splendour  of  great  pomp,  they  conclude  that  no 
Church  remains  in  the  world.  But  God  at  one  time  so  di- 
minishes the  Church,  that  it  seems  to  be  almost  reduced  to 
nothing ;  at  another  time,  he  increases  and  multiplies  it  be- 
yond all  hope,  after  having  raised  it,  as  it  were,  from  death. 
Isaiah  says  in  the  tenth  chapter,  ver.  22,  *  Were  the  number 
of  the  children  of  Israel  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  a  remnant 
only  shaU  be  saved.'  The  Prophet  there  designedly  exposes 
to  scorn  the  hypocrites,  who  falsely  pleaded  that  prophecy, 
'  Look  on  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  on  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
if  thou  canst  number  them ;  so  shall  thy  seed  be.'  Since, 
then,  Isaiah  saw  that  hypocrites,  relying  on  that  prophecy, 
were  rising  so  perversely  against  him,  he  said,  "  Be  it  so,  be 
it  so,  that  ye  are  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  as  the  sand  of 
the  sea ;  yet  a  remnant  only  shall  be  saved ;"  which  means, 
""  The  Lord  will  at  last  cut  you  down,  and  reduce  you  to  so 

VOL.  I.  £ 


66  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  III. 

small  a  number,  that  ye  shall  be  extremely  few."  Now,  on 
the  other  hand,  Hosea  says,  That  after  the  Israelites  shall  be 
reduced  to  a  very  small  number,  that  nothing  but  waste  and 
solitude  will  appear,  then  the  Lord  will  restore  the  Church 
beyond  all  human  thought,  and  will  prove  that  he  had  not  in 
vain  promised  to  Abraham  that  his  seed  would  be  as  the  sand 
of  the  sea.  Since,  then,  the  Lord  wonderfully  defends  his 
Church,  and  preserves  it  in  this  world,  so  that  at  one  time 
he  seems  to  bury  it,  and  then  he  raises  it  from  death ;  at  one 
time  he  cuts  it  down  as  to  its  outward  appearance,  and  then 
afterwards  he  renews  it;  we  ought  to  take  heed,  lest  we 
measure  according  to  our  own  judgment  and  carnal  reason, 
what  the  Lord  declares  respecting  the  preservation  of  his 
Church.  For  its  safety  is  often  hid  from  the  eyes  of  men. 
However  the  case  may  be,  God  does  not  bind  himself  here  to 
human  means,  nor  to  the  order  of  nature,  but  his  purpose  is 
to  surpass  by  his  incredible  power  whatever  the  minds  of 
men  can  conceive. 

Thus  then  ought  this  passage.  The  number  of  the  children 
of  Israel  shall  he  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  to  be  expounded:  God 
will  gather  his  Church  from  all  quarters,  from  the  Gentiles 
as  well  as  from  the  Jews,  when  the  whole  world  will  think  it 
to  be  extinct. 

And  it  shall  he  in  the  place  where  it  had  been  said.  Ye  are  not 
my  -people ;  there  it  shall  he  said,  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the  living 
God.  The  Prophet,  in  these  words,  amplifies  by  a  compari- 
son the  grace  of  God  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  When  God  shall 
restore  anew  his  Church,  its  state  shall  be  more  excellent 
than  before."  How  so?  "They  shall  not  only,"  he  says, 
"  be  the  people  of  God,  but  also  the  sons  of  the  living  God;" 
which  means,  that  God  will  more  familiarly  show  himself  a 
Father  to  those,  whom  he  will  thus  suddenly  gather  into  one 
body.  I  indeed  allow  that  the  ancients  under  the  law  were 
honoured  with  this  title;  but  we  ought  to  attend  to  the  pre- 
sent passage;  for  the  Prophet  contrasts  the  two  clauses,  the 
one  with  the  other  :  And  it  shall  be  in  the  place  where  it  had 
been  said,  Ye  are  not  my  jjeople;  it  shall  he  said  there.  Ye  are  the 
sons  of  the  living  God.  He  might  have  said,  "And  it  shall 
be  in  the  place  where  it  had  been  said,  Ye  are  not  my  people; 


CHAP.  I.  10.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  67 

there  it  shall  be  said,  Ye  are  now  my  people:"  but  he  ascends 
higher ;  God  will  confer  more  honour  on  his  new  people,  for 
he  will  more  clearly  manifest  his  favour  to  them  by  this  title 
of  adoption :  and  it  belongs  in  common  to  all,  to  the  Gentiles 
as  well  as  to  the  Israelites.  We  ought  not  to  apply  this,  as 
it  is  commonly  done,  exclusively  to  the  Gentiles:  for  Hosea 
speaks  not  here  only  of  the  Church  which  God  attained  for 
himself  from  the  Gentiles,  but  of  the  whole  Israel  of  God,  a 
part  of  whom  is  the  seed  of  Abraham.  Let  us  then  know 
that  God  here  offers  his  grace  generally,  to  the  Israelites  as 
well  as  to  the  Gentiles,  and  testifies,  that  after  having  justly 
cast  away  this  people,  he  would  make  all  to  know  that  he 
had  not  been  unmindful  of  his  covenant,  for  he  would  attain 
to  himself  a  much  larger  Cliurch — from  whom?  From  the 
children  of  Abraham,  as  it  has  been  said,  as  well  as  from 
strangers. 

And  there  is  an  important  meaning  In  the  verb,  '  It  shall  be 
said :'  It  shall  he  where  it  had  been  said,  Ye  are  not  my  j^coplc, 
there  it  shall  he  said, — The  Prophet  means,  that  our  salvation 
appears  not,  before  the  Lord  has  begun  to  testify  to  us  of  his 
good-will.  Hence  the  beginning  of  our  salvation  is  God's 
call,  when  he  declares  himself  to  be  propitious  to  us :  without 
his  word,  no  hope  shines  on  us.  Hosea  might  have  said,  '  It 
shall  be  in  the  place  where  it  had  been  said,  Ye  are  not  my 
people,  there  they  shall  begin  to  be  the  sons  of  God :'  but  he 
expresses  more,  *It  shall  be  where  it  had  been  said.  Ye  are 
not  my  people,  there  it  shall  be  said,  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the 
living  God.' 

As  to  the  first  clause,  it  must  be  referred  to  the  threaten- 
ings  which  have  been  already  explained;  and  in  this  way  waa 
also  checked  the  contumacy  of  the  people,  who  heedlessly 
despised  all  the  Prophets.  "What!  God  has  bound  himself 
to  us :  we  are  the  race  of  Abraham ;  then  we  are  a  holy  and 
elect  nation."  But  the  Prophet  here  claims  authority  to  him- 
self as  a  teacher:  "I  am  a  herald  of  God's  vengeance,  and 
seriously  proclaim  to  you  your  rejection:  there  is  then  no 
reason  why  ye  should  now  harden  your  hearts  and  close  your 
ears ;  for  now  at  length  will  follow  the  execution  of  that  ven- 
geance which  I  now  declare  to  you."     The  Prophet  then  de- 


68  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  III. 

clares  here  that  he  had  not  rashly  pronounced  what  we  before 
noticed,  that  it  was  not  an  empty  bugbear,  but  that  he  had 
spoken  in  the  Lord's  name  ;  as  Paul  also  says,  'Vengeance  is 
prepared  by  us  against  all  them  who  extol  themselves  against 
Christ,'  (2  Cor.  x;  6.)  And  w^e  see  also  what  was  said  to 
Ezekiel,  'Go  and  besiege  Jerusalem;  turn  thy  face,  and  stand 
there  until  thou  stormest  it,  until  thou  overthrowest  it.'  The 
1^'ophet  was  not  certainly  furnished  with  an  army,  so  that 
he  could  make  an  attack  upon  Jerusalem :  but  God  means 
there,  that  there  is  power  enough  in  his  word  to  destroy  all 
the  ungodly.  So  alsoHosea  signifies  the  same  here:  "Wlien 
by  the  word  alone  the  Israelites  shall  be  cast  away,  it  shall 
be  said.  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the  living  God."  Let  us  then 
know,  that  God  rises  upon  us  with  certain  salvation,  when 
we  hear  him  speaking  to  us.     It  followi 


11.  Then  shall  the  children  of  Judah      ll.Etcongregabuntur  filii 

and  the  children  of  Israel  be  gathered  to-  Jehudah  et  filii  Israel  si- 

gether,  and  appoint  themselves  one  head,  niul,  et  poneut  sibi  caput 

and  thej'  shall  come  up  out  of  the  land :  for  imum,  et  ascendent  e  terra; 

great  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezi-eel.  quia  magnus  dies  Jizreel. 

The  Prophet  speaks  here  peculiarly  of  the  children  of 
Abraham;  for  though  God  would  make  no  more  account  of 
them  than  of  other  nations,  he  yet  wished  it  to  be  ascribed 
to  his  covenant,  that  they  in  honour  excelled  others ;  and  the 
right  of  primogeniture,  we  know,  is  everywhere  given  to 
them.  Then  as  Abraham's  children  were  first-begotten  in 
the  Church,  even  after  the  coming  of  Christ,  God  here  espe- 
cially addresses  them.  Ascend  together  from  the  land  shall  the 
children  of  Israel  and  the  children  of  Judah,  and  they  shall 
assemble  together,  and  apj)oint  for  themselves  one  head.  In  the 
last  verse,  Hosea  spake  of  the  universal  gathering  of  the 
Church;  but  now  he  confines  his  address  to  the  natural  race 
of  Abraham.  Why?  Because  God  commenced  a  restoration 
with  that  people,  when  he  extended  his  hand  to  the  miserable 
exiles  to  bring  them  back  from  the  Babylonian  captivity  to 
their  own  country.  As  then  this  was  the  beginning  of  the 
gathering,  the  Prophet,  not  without  reason,  turns  his  address 
here  to  them,  and  thus  sets  them  in  higher  honour,  not  that 
they  were  worthy,  not  that  they  could  by  any  merit  claim 


CHAP.  I.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  69 

this  dignity;   but  because  God  would  not  make  void  his 
covenant,  and  because  he  had  chosen  them  that  they  might 
be  the  first-begotten,  as  it  has  been  already  stated,  and  as 
they  are  also  elsewhere  called, '  My  first-begotten  is  Ephraim,' 
(Jer.  xxxi.  9.)     We  now  then  understand  the  order  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  Prophet,  which  is  to  be  casefuUy  noticed, 
and  the  more  so,  because  interpreters  confound   all  these 
things,  and  make  no  distinctions,  when  yet  the  Prophet  has 
not  here  mingled  together  the  children  of  Israel  and  the  child- 
ren of  Judah  with  the  Gentiles,  except  for  a  certain  purpose. 
Let  us  now  consider  the  words  of  the  Prophet.     Assembled 
together,  he  says,  shall  he  the  children  of  Israel  and  the  children 
of  Judah.     No  doubt,  the  Prophet  has  in  view  the  scatter- 
ing, which  had  now  lasted  more  than  two  hundred  years, 
when  Jeroboam  had  led  away  the  ten  tribes.     Inasmuch  as 
the  body  became  then  torn  asunder,  the  Prophet  says.  To- 
gether shall  be  gathered  the  children  of  Judah  and  the  children 
of  Israel.     And  designedly  does  he  thus  speak,  lest  the  Is- 
raelites should  felicitate  themselves  on  their  own  power ;  since 
they  were  a  mutilated  body  without  a  head ;  for  the  king  of 
Israel,  properly  speaking,  was  not  legitimate.     The  Lord  had 
indeed  anointed  Jeroboam;  and  afterwards  Jehu,  I  admit, 
had  been  anointed;  but  it  was  done  for  the  sake  of  executinof 
judgment.     For  when  the  Lord  intended  really  to  bless  the 
people,  he  chose  David  to  rule  over  them ;  and  then  he  com- 
mitted the  government  over  all  the  children  of  Abraham  to 
the  posterity  of  David.     There  was  therefore  no  legitimate 
head  over  the  people  of  Israel.     And  the  Prophet  intended 
distinctly  to  express  this  by  saying,  Gathered  together  shall  be 
the  cldldren  of  Judah  and  the  children  of  Israel;  which  means 
this,  "  Ye  are  now  secure,  because  fortune  smiles  on  you  ;  be- 
cause ye  are  overflowing  with  money  and  all  good  things ; 
because  ye  are  terrible  to  your  neighbours ;  because  ye  have 
cities  well  fortified;    but  your  safety    depends   on   another 
thing,  even  on  this, — that  ye  be  one  body  under  one  head. 
For  ye  must  be  miserable  except  God  rules  over  you;  and 
the  only  way  in  which  this  can  be  is,  that  ye  be  under  the 
government  of  David.     Your  separation,  then,  proves  your 
state  to  be  accursed ;  your  earthly  happiness,  in  which  you 


70  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  III. 

felicitate  yourselves,  is  unhappiness  before  God."  The  Pro- 
phet then  reminded  the  people  of  Israel,  that  God  would  at 
last  deal  kindly  with  tliem  by  restoring  them  to  their  first 
unity.  The  import  of  the  whole  then  is,  that  the  children  of 
Abraham  shall  then  at  length  be  blessed,  when  they  shall 
unite  again  in  one  body,  and  when  one  head  shall  rule  over 
them.  They  shall  then  he  gathered  together,  and  appoint  one 
head.  The  Prophet  shows  here  also  what  kind  of  assembling 
this  will  be  which  he  mentions,  which  was  to  be  this, — they 
shall  be  gathered  under  the  government  of  one  king.  For 
whenever  God  speaks  of  the  restoration  of  the  people,  he 
ever  calls  the  attention  of  the  faithful  to  David :  '  David 
shall  rule,  there  shall  be  one  shepherd.'  Then  one  king  and 
one  head  shall  be  among  them.  We  now  perceive  the  design 
of  the  Prophet. 

But  this  passage  clearly  teaches,  that  the  unity  of  men  is 
of  no  account  before  God,  except  it  originates  from  one  head. 
Besides,  it  is  well  known  that  God  set  David  over  his  ancient 
people  until  the  coming  of  Christ.  Now,  then,  the  Church 
of  the  Lord  is  only  rightly  formed,  when  the  true  David 
rules  over  it ;  that  is,  when  all  with  one  consent  obey  Christ, 
and  submit  to  his  bidding,  {pendehunt  ah  ejus  nutu — hang  on 
his  nod  :)  and  how  Christ  designs  to  I'ule  in  his  Church,  we 
know  ;  for  the  sceptre  of  his  kingdom  is  the  gospel.  Hence, 
when  Christ  is  honoured  with  the  obedience  of  faith,  all 
things  are  safe ;  and  this  is  the  happy  state  of  the  Church, 
of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks.  It  seems,  indeed,  strange, 
that  Avhat  is  peculiar  to  God  should  be  transferred  to  men — 
that  is,  to  appoint  a  king.  But  the  Prophet  has,  by  this  ex- 
pression, characterized  the  obedience  of  faith;  for  it  is  not 
enough  that  Christ  should  be  given  as  a  king,  and  set  over 
men,  unless  they  also  embrace  him  as  their  king,  and  with 
reverence  receive  him.  We  now  learn,  that  when  we  believe 
the  gospel  we  choose  Christ  for  our  king,  as  it  were,  by  a 
voluntary  consent. 

He  afterwards  subjoins.  They  shall  ascend  from  the  land. 
He  expresses  more  than  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse ;  for 
he  says,  that  God  would  restore  them  from  exile  to  their  own 
country.     He  then  promises  what  was  very  necessary,  that 


CHAP.  1.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  IIOSEA.  71 

exile  would  be  no  hinderance  to  God  to  renew  his  Cliurch ; 
for  it  was  the  people's  ruin  to  be  removed  far  from  their 
country,  and  consequently  to  be  deprived  of  their  promised 
inheritance  during  their  dispersion  among  heathen  nations. 
The  Lord  then  takes  away  this  difficulty,  and  distinctly  de- 
clares, that  though  for  a  time  they  should  be  as  whoUy  de- 
stroyed, they  should  yet  come  again  to  their  own  land.  They 
shall,  therefore,  ascend — (this  is  said  with  regard  to  Judea,  for 
it  is  higher  than  Chaldea) — they  sliall,  therefore,  ascend  from 
Chaldea  and  other  places  in  which  they  had  been  dispersed. 
We  now  understand  what  the  Prophet  means  by  saying. 
Gathered  together  shall  he  the  children  of  Israel  and  the  children 
of  Judah — that  is,  into  one  body;  and  further,  they  shall 
appoint  for  themselves  one  head.  This  is  the  manner  of  the 
gathering ;  and  it  must  be  also  added,  that  the  Church  then 
obeys  God,  Avhen  all,  from  the  first  to  the  last,  consent  to 
one  head  :  for  it  is  not  enough  to  be  constrained,  unless  all 
willingly  offer  themselves  to  Christ ;  as  it  is  said  in  Psalm  ex., 
'There  shall  be  a  willing  people  in  the  day  in  which  the 
King  will  call  his  own.'  Then  the  Prophet  intended  to  ex- 
press the  obedience  of  faith,  which  the  faithful  will  render  to 
Christ,  when  the  Lord  shall  restore  them. 

And  the  J  shall  ascend,  he  sa,js,  from  the  land ;  for  great 
shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel.  It  may  be  asked,  why  does  he 
here  call  the  day  of  Jezreel  great ;  for  it  seems  contrary  to 
prophecy?  This  passage  may  be  explained  in  two  ways. 
Great  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel,  some  say,  because  God 
will  sow  the  people  whom  he  had  before  scattered.  So  they 
think  that  the  Prophet,  as  in  a  former  instance,  alludes  to  the 
word,  Jezreel.  But  the  sens  eseems  to  me  to  be  another.  I 
do  not  restrict  this  clause  to  the  last,  nor  to  the  promise,  but 
apply  it  to  the  slaughter  which  has  been  before  mentioned ; 
for  they  correspond  with  one  another.  They  shall  ascend  from 
the  land;  for  great  shall  he  the  day  of  Jezreel.  The  Israelites 
were  as  yet  resting  in  their  nests,  and  thought  that  they 
could  not  by  any  means  be  torn  away  ;  besides,  the  kingdom 
of  Judah  did  not  then  fear  a  near  destruction.  The  Prophet, 
therefore,  intimates  here,  that  there  would  be  a  need  of  some 
signal  and  extraordinary  remedy ;  for  it  shall  be  the  severe 


72  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.  LECT.  HI. 

and  dreadful  slaughter  in  the  day  of  Jezreel.  We  now  per- 
ceive the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  They  shall  ascend  from 
the  land ;  for  ^  great  shall  he  the  day  of  Jezreel. 

They  might,  indeed,  have  otherwise  objected,  and  said, 
"  Why  dost  thou  thus  prophesy  to  us  about  ascending  ?  What 
is  this  ascending  ?  Do  we  not  rest  quietly  in  the  inheritance 
which  God  formerly  promised  to  our  fathers  ?  What  meanest 
thou,  then,  by  this  ascending  ?"  The  Prophet  here  rouses 
them,  and  reminds  them  that  they  had  no  reason  to  trust  in 
their  now  quiet  state,  as  wine  settled  on  its  lees ;  and  this 
very  similitude  is  even  used  in  another  place,  (Jer.  xlviii.  11.) 
The  Prophet  here  declares,  that  there  would  be  a  most  dread- 
ful slaughter,  which  would  call  for  the  signal  mercy  of  God  ; 
for  he  would  in  a  wonderful  manner  restore  the  people,  and 
draw  them  out  like  the  dead  from  then-  graves :  for  great 
then  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel ;  that  is,  ''  As  the  calamity 
which  the  Lord  shall  bring  on  you  will  be  grievous  and 
dreadful,  I  do  not  in  vain  promise  to  you  this  return  and 
ascending."  This  seems  to  be  really  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet. 

PEAYEE. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  have  not  only  been  redeemed 
from  Babylonian  exile,  but  have  also  emerged  from  hell  itself; 
for  when  we  were  the  childi'en  of  wi'ath  thou  didst  freely  adopt 
us,  and  when  we  were  aliens,  thou  didst  in  thine  infinite  good- 
ness open  to  us  the  gate  of  thy  kingdom,  that  we  might  be  made 
thy  heirs  through  thy  Son, — O  grant  that  we  may  walk  cfrcum- 
spectly  before  thee,  and  submit  ourselves  wholly  to  thee  and  to 
thy  Christ,  and  not  feign  to  be  his  members,  but  really  prove 
ourselves  to  be  his  body,  and  to  be  so  govenied  by  his  Spirit, 
that  thou  mayest  at  last  gather  us  together  into  thy  celestial 
kingdom,  to  which  thou  daily  invitest  us  by  the  same  Christ 
our  Lord.    Amen. 


•  If  this  were  rendered  '  though,'  as  it  is  by  some,  the  meaning  would 
be  more  evident ;  that  is,  they  shall  ascend  fi'om  the  land,  notwithstand- 
ing the  greatness  of  the  slaughter  in  Jezreel,  when  thej'  should  be  led 
captive — Ed, 


CHAF.  II.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  7<J 


CHAPTER  II. 

1.  Say  ye  unto  your  brethren,  1.  Dicite  fratribusvestris,  Popii- 
Ammi ;  and  to  your  sisters,  Iluha-  lus  mens  ;  et  sororibus  vestris,  Di- 
mah.  lecta. 

The  Prophet  having  spoken  of  the  people's  restoration, 
and  promised  that  God  would  some  time  receive  into  favour 
those  whom  he  had  before  rejected,  now  exhorts  the  faithful 
mutually  to  stir  up  one  another  to  receive  this  favour.  He 
had  previously  mentioned  a  public  proclamation ;  for  it  is 
not  in  the  power  of  men  to  make  themselves  the  children  of 
God,  but  God  himself  freely  adopts  them.  But  now  the  mu- 
tual exhortation  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks  follows  the 
proclamation ;  for  God  at  the  same  time  invites  us  to  him- 
self. After  we  are  taught  in  common,  it  remains  then  that 
each  one  should  extend  his  hand  to  his  brethren,  that  we 
may  thus  with  one  consent  be  brought  together  to  the  Lord. 

This  then  is  what  the  Prophet  means  by  saying,  Saj^  ye  to 
your  brethren,  ^^y,  omi,  and  to  your  sisters,  nXSn^'lj  ruchame  ; 
that  is,  since  I  have  promised  to  be  propitious  to  you,  you 
can  now  safely  testify  this  to  one  another.  We  then  see  that 
this  discourse  is  addressed  to  each  of  the  faithful,  that  they 
may  mutually  confirm  themselves  in  the  faith,  after  the  Lord 
shall  offer  them  favour  and  reconciliation.  Let  us  now  proceed — 

2.  Plead  with  your  mother,  2.  Litigate  cum  matre  vestra,  liti- 
plead  ;  for  she  is  not  my  wife,  nei-  gate  ;  quia  ipsa  non  uxor  mea,  et 
ther  am  I  her  husband  :  let  her  ego  non  maritus  ejus  :  et  toUat  (hoc 
therefore  put  away  her  whoredoms  est^  toUat  igitur)  scortationes  suas 
out  of  her  sight,  and  her  adulteries  e  facie  sua,  et  adulteria  sua  e  medio 
from  between  her  breasts.  uberum  suorum. 

The  Prophet  seems  in  this  verse  to  contradict  himself;  for 
he  promised  reconciliation,  and  now  he  speaks  of  a  new  repu- 


74  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

diatlon.  These  things  do  not  seem  to  agree  well  together — 
that  God  should  embrace,  or  be  willing  to  embrace,  again  in 
his  love  those  whom  he  had  before  rejected, — and  that  he 
should  at  the  same  time  send  a  bill  of  divorce,  and  renounce 
the  bond  of  marriage.  But  if  we  weigh  the  design  of  the 
Prophet,  we  shall  see  that  the  passage  is  very  consistent,  and 
that  there  is  in  the  words  no  contrariety.  He  has  indeed 
promised  that  at  a  future  time  God  would  be  propitious  to 
the  Israelites  :  but  as  they  had  not  yet  repented,  it  was  need- 
fid  to  deal  again  more  severely  with  them,  that  they  might 
return  to  their  God  really  and  thoroughly  subdued.  So  we 
see  that  in  Scripture,  promises  and  threatenings  are  mingled 
together,  and  rightly  too.  For  were  the  Lord  to  spend  a 
whole  month  in  reproving  sinners,  they  may  in  that  time  fall 
away  a  hundred  times.  Hence  God,  after  showing  to  men 
their  sins,  adds  some  consolation  and  moderates  severity,  lest 
they  should  despond :  he  afterwards  returns  again  to  threaten- 
ings, and  does  so  from  necessity ;  for  though  men  may  be 
terrified  with  the  fear  of  punishment,  they  do  not  yet  really 
repent.  It  is  then  necessary  for  them  to  be  reproved  not 
only  once  and  again,  but  very  often. 

We  now  then  perceive  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view  :  he 
had  spoken  of  the  people's  defection ;  afterwards  he  proved 
that  the  people  had  been  justly  rejected  by  the  Lord ;  and 
then  he  promised  the  hope  of  pardon.  But  now  seeing  that 
they  still  continued  obstinate  in  their  vices,  he  reproves 
again  those  who  had  need  of  such  chastisement.  He,  in  a 
word,  has  in  view  their  present  state. 

Almost  all  so  expound  this  verse  as  if  the  Prophet  ad- 
dressed the  faithful :  and  with  greater  refinement  still  do  they 
expound,  who  say,  that  the  Prophet  addresses  the  faithful 
who  had  fallen  away  from  the  synagogue.  They  have  all,  I 
have  no  doubt,  been  much  deceived  ;  for  the  Prophet,  on  the 
contraiy,  shows  here  that  God  was  justly  punishing  the 
Israelites,  who  were  wont  to  excuse  themselves  in  the  same 
way  as  hypocrites  are  wont  to  do.  When  the  Lord  treated 
them  otherwise  than  according  to  their  wishes,  they  expos- 
tulated, and  raised  up  contention — "What  does  this  mean?" 
So  do  we  find  them  introduced,  as  thus  speaking,  by  Isaiah,  in 


CHAP.  II.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  75 

chapter  Iviii.  There,  indeed,  they  fiercely  contend  with  God, 
as  if  the  Lord  dealt  with  them  unjustly,  for  they  seemed  not 
conscious  of  having  done  any  evil.  Hence  the  Prophet,  seeing 
the  IsraeHtes  so  senseless  in  their  sins,  says.  Contend^  contend 
tcith  your  mother.  He  speaks  here  in  the  person  of  God  :  and 
God,  as  it  has  been  stated,  uses  the  similitude  of  a  marriage. 
Let  us  now  see  what  is  the  import  of  the  words. 

When  a  husband  repudiates  his  wife,  he  fixes  a  mark  of 
disgrace  on  the  children  born  by  that  marriage  :  their  mother 
has  been  divorced ;  then  the  children,  on  account  of  that  dir 
vorce,  are  held  in  less  esteem.  When  a  husband  repudiates 
his  wife  through  waywardness,  the  children  justly  regard  him 
Avith  hatred.  Why  ?  "  Because  he  loved  not  our  mother  as 
he  ought  to  have  done ;  he  has  not  honoured  the  bond  of 
marriage."  It  is  therefore  usually  the  case,  that  the  children's 
affections  are  alienated  from  their  father,  when  he  treats  their 
mother  with  too  little  humanity  or  with  entire  contempt.  So 
the  Israelites,  when  they  saw  themselves  rejected,  wished  to 
throw  the  blame  on  God.  For  by  the  name,  mother,  are  the 
people  here  called ;  it  is  transferred  to  the  whole  body  of  the 
people,  or  the  race  of  Abraham.  God  had  espoused  that 
people  to  himself,  and  wished  them  to  be  like  a  wife  to  him. 
Since  then  God  was  a  husband  to  the  people,  the  Israelites 
were  as  sons  born  by  that  marriage.  But  when  they  were 
repudiated,  the  Israelites  said,  that  God  dealt  cruelly  with 
them,  for  he  had  cast  them  away  for  no  fault.  The  Prophet 
now  undertakes  the  defence  of  God's  cause,  and  speaks  also 
in  his  person.  Contend,  contend,  he  says,  with  your  mother.  In 
a  word,  this  passage  agrees  with  what  is  said  in  the  beginning 
of  the  50th  chapter  of  Isaiah,  'Where  is  the  bill  of  repu- 
diation ?  Have  I  sold  you  to  my  creditors  ?  But  ye  have 
been  sold  for  your  sins,  and  your  mother  has  been  repudiated 
for  her  iniquity.'  Husbands  were  wont  to  give  a  bill  of 
divorce  to  their  wives,  that  they  themselves  might  see  it : 
for  it  freed  them  from  every  reproach,  inasmuch  as  the  hus- 
band bore  a  testimony  to  his  wife  :  "  I  dismiss  her,  not  that 
she  has  been  unfaithful,  not  that  she  has  violated  the  bond 
of  marriage  ;  but  because  her  beauty  does  not  please  me,  or 
because  her  manners  are  not  agreeable  to  me."   The  law  com- 


76  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

pelled  the  husband  to  give  such  a  testimony  as  this.  God 
now  says  by  his  Prophet,  "  Show  me  now  the  bill  of  repudia- 
tion :  have  I  of  my  own  accord  cast  away  your  mother  ?  No, 
I  have  not  done  so.  Ye  cannot  accuse  me  of  cruelty,  as 
though  her  beauty  did  not  please  me,  and  as  though  I  had 
followed  the  common  practice  approved  by  you.  I  have  not 
willingly  rejected  her,  nor  at  my  own  pleasure,  and  I  have 
not  sold  her  to  my  creditors,  as  your  fathers  were  sometimes 
wont  to  do,  as  to  their  children,  when  they  were  in  debt." 
In  short,  the  Lord  shows  there  that  the  Jews  were  to  be 
blamed,  that  they  Avere  rejected  together  with  their  mother. 
So  he  says  also  in  this  place,  Contend,  contend  with  your  mo- 
ther ;  which  means,  "  Your  dispute  is  not  with  me :"  and  by 
the  repetition  he  shows  how  inveterate  was  their  perverse- 
ness,  for  they  never  ceased  to  clamour  against  God.  We  now 
see  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

In  vain  then  do  they  philosophise,  who  say  that  the  mother 
was  to  be  condemned  by  her  own  children ;  because,  when 
they  shall  be  converted  to  their  former  faith,  they  ought  then 
to  condemn  the  synagogue.  The  Prophet  meant  no  such  thing; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  he  brings  this  charge  against  the  Israelites, 
that  they  had  been  repudiated  for  the  flagitious  conduct  of 
their  mother,  and  had  ceased  to  be  counted  the  children  of 
God.  For  the  comparison  between  husband  and  wife  is  here 
to  be  understood  ;  and  then  the  children  are  placed  as  it  were 
in  the  middle.  When  the  mother  is  dismissed,  the  children 
indignantly  say  that  the  father  has  been  too  inhuman,  if  in- 
deed he  wilfully  divorces  his  wife  :  but  when  a  wife  becomes 
unfaithful  to  her  husband,  or  prostitutes  herself  to  any  shame- 
ful crime,  the  husband  is  then  free  from  every  blame  ;  and 
there  is  no  cause  for  the  children  to  expostulate  with  him  ; 
for  he  ought  thus  to  punish  a  shameless  wife.  God  then 
shows  that  the  Israelites  w^ere  justly  rejected,  and  that  the 
blame  of  their  rejection  belonged  to  the  whole  race  of 
Abraham ;  but  that  no  blame  could  be  imputed  to  him. 

And  for  a  reason  it  is  added.  Let  her  then  take  away  her  for- 
nications fro7n  her  face,  and  her  adulteries  from,  the  midst  of  her 
breasts.     The  Prophet,  by  saying,  Let  her  then  take  away  her 
fornications,  (for  the  copulative  1,  vau,  ought  to  be  regarded 


CHAP.  II.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  77 

as  an  illative,)  confirms  what  we  have  just  now  said ;  that  is, 
that  God  had  stood  to  his  pledged  faith,  but  that  the  people 
had  become  perfidious  ;  and  that  the  cause  of  the  divorce  or 
separation  was,  that  the  Israelites  persevered  not,  as  they 
ought  to  have  done,  in  the  obedience  of  faith.  Then  God 
says,  Let  her  take  away  her  fornications.  But  the  phrase.  Let 
her  take  away  from  her  face  and  from  her  hreasts,  seems  singu- 
lar ;  and  what  does  it  mean  ?  because  women  commit  forni- 
cations neither  by  the  face  nor  by  the  breasts.  It  is  evident 
the  Prophet  alludes  to  meretricious  finery  ;  for  harlots,  that 
they  may  entice  men,  sumptuously  adorn  themselves,  and 
carefully  paint  their  face  and  decorate  their  breasts.  Wan- 
tonness then  appears  in  the  face  as  well  as  in  the  breasts.  But 
interpreters  do  not  touch  on  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view. 
The  Prophet,  no  doubt,  sets  forth  here  the  shamelessness  of 
the  people  ;  for  they  had  now  so  hardened  themselves  in  their 
contempt  of  God,  in  their  ungodly  superstitions,  in  all  kinds 
of  Avickedness,  that  they  were  like  harlots,  who  conceal  not 
their  baseness,  but  openly  prostitute  themselves,  yea,  and  ex- 
hibit tokens  of  their  shamelessness  in  their  eyes  as  well  as  in 
every  part  of  their  bodies.  We  see  then  that  the  people  are 
here  accused  of  disgraceful  impudence,  as  they  had  grown  so 
callous  as  to  wish  to  be  known  to  be  such  as  they  were.  In 
the  same  way  does  Ezekiel  set  forth  their  reproachful  con- 
duct, '  Spread  hath  the  harlot  her  feet,  she  called  on  all  who 
passed  by  the  way,'  (Ezek.  xvi.  25.) 

We  now  then  understand  why  the  Prophet  expressly  said, 
Let  her  take  away  from  her  face  her  fornications,  and  from  her 
hreasts  her  adulteries :  for  he  teaches  that  the  vices  of  the 
])eople  were  not  hidden,  and  that  they  did  not  now  sin  and 
cover  their  baseness  as  hypocrites  do,  but  that  they  were 
so  unrestrained  in  their  contempt  of  God,  that  they  were 
become  like  common  harlots. 

Here  is  a  remarkable  passage  ;  for  we  first  see  that  men  in 
vain  complain  when  the  Lord  seems  to  deal  with  them  in 
severity ;  for  they  will  ever  find  the  fault  to  be  in  themselves 
and  in  their  parents  :  yea,  when  they  look  on  all  impartially, 
they  will  confess  that  all  throughout  the  whole  community 
are  included  in  one  and  the  same  guilt.     Let  us  hence  learn, 


78  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

whenever  the  Lord  may  chastise  us,  to  come  home  to  our- 
selves, and  to  confess  that  he  is  justly  severe  towards  us ;  yea, 
were  we  apparently  cast  away,  we  ought  yet  to  confess,  that  it 
is  through  our  own  fault,  and  not  through  God's  immoderate 
severity.  We  also  learn  how  frivolous  is  their  pretext,  who 
set  up  against  God  the  authority  of  their  fathers,  as  the  Pa- 
pists do  :  for  they  would,  if  they  could,  call  or  compel  God 
to  an  account,  because  he  forsakes  them,  and  owns  them  not 
now  as  his  Church.  "  What !  has  not  God  bound  his  faith  to 
us  ?  Is  not  the  Church  his  spouse  ?  Can  he  be  unfaithful  ?" 
So  say  the  Papists :  but  at  the  same  time  they  consider  not, 
that  their  mother  has  become  utterly  filthy  through  her  many 
abominations ;  they  consider  not,  that  she  has  been  repudiated, 
because  the  Lord  could  no  longer  bear  her  great  wickedness. 
Let  us  then  know,  that  it  is  in  vain  to  bring  against  God  the 
examples  of  men  ;  for  what  is  here  said  by  the  Prophet  will 
ever  stand  true,  that  God  has  not  given  a  bill  of  divorce  to  his 
Church ;  that  is,  that  he  has  not  of  his  own  accord  divorced 
her,  as  peevish  and  cruel  husbands  are  wont  to  do,  but  that 
he  has  been  constrained  to  do  so,  because  he  could  no  longer 
connive  at  so  many  abominations.     It  now  follows — 

3.  Lest  I  strip  her  naked,  S.Neexpoliem  earn  nudain,  (/<oces^,  ne 

and  set  her  as  in  the  day  that  expoliando  denudem,)  et  statuam  earn 

she  was  born,  and  make  her  secundum  diem  nativitatissna3,etponam 

as  a  wilderness,   and  set  her  earn  quasi  desertum,  pouam  earn  quasi 

like  a  dry  laud,  and  slay  her  terram  siccitatis  (Jioc  est,  terram  aridam) 

with  thirst.  et  occidam  earn  siti,  {hoc  est,  perire  faci- 

am  :  Je  la  feray  mourir,  ad  verbian.) 

Though  the  Prophet  in  this  verse  severely  threatens  the 
Israelites,  yet  it  appears  from  a  full  view  of  the  whole  passage, 
that  he  mitigates  the  sentence  we  have  explained :  for  by 
declaring  what  sort  of  vengeance  was  suspended  over  them, 
except  they  timely  repented,  he  shows  that  there  was  some 
hope  of  pardon  remaining,  which,  as  we  shall  see,  he  expresses 
afterwards  more  clearly. 

He  now  begins  by  saying.  Lest  I  strip  her  naked,  and  set 
her  as  on  the  day  of  her  nativity.  This  alone  would  have  been 
dreadfld ;  but  we  shall  see  in  the  passage,  that  God  so  de- 
nounces punishment,  that  he  cuts  not  off  altogether  the  hope 
of  mercy :  and  at  the  same  time  he  reminds  them  that  the 


CHAP.  II.  3.  COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  79 

divorce,  for  which  they  were  disposed  to  contend  with  God, 
was  such,  that  God  yet  shows  indulgence  to  the  repudiated 
wife.  For  when  a  husband  dismisses  an  adulteress,  he  strips 
her  entirely,  and  rightly  so  :  but  God  shows  here,  that  though 
the  Israelites  had  become  wanton,  and  were  like  a  shameless 
woman,  he  had  yet  so  divorced  them  hitherto,  that  he  had 
left  them  their  dowry,  their  ornaments  and  marriage  gifts. 
We  then  see  that  God  had  not  used,  as  he  might  have  done, 
his  right ;  and  hence  he  says,  Lest  I  strip  her  naked;  which 
means  this,  "  I  seem  to  you  too  rigid,  because  1  have  declared, 
that  I  am  no  longer  a  husband  to  your  mother :  and  yet  see 
how  kindly  I  have  spared  her ;  for  she  remains  as  yet  almost 
untouched  :  though  she  has  lost  the  name  of  wife,  I  have  not 
yet  stripped  her;  she  as  yet  lives  in  sufficient  plenty.  Whence 
is  this  but  from  my  indulgence  ?  for  I  did  not  wish  to  follow 
up  my  right,  as  husbands  do.  But  except  she  learns  to  hum- 
ble herself,  I  now  gird  up  myself  for  the  purpose  of  executing 
heavier  punishments."  We  now  comprehend  the  whole  im- 
port of  the  passage. 

What  the  Prophet  means  by  the  day  of  nativity,  we  may 
readily  learn  from  Ezek.  xvi. ;  for  Ezekiel  there  treats  the  same 
subject  with  our  Prophet,  but  much  more  at  large.  He  says 
that  the  Israelites  were  then  born,  when  God  delivered  them 
from  the  tyranny  of  Egypt.  This  then  was  the  nativity  of 
the  people.  And  yet  it  was  a  miserable  sight,  when  they 
fled  away  with  fear  and  trembling,  when  they  were  exposed 
to  their  enemies :  and  after  they  entered  the  wilderness,  being 
without  bread  and  water,  their  condition  was  very  wretched. 
The  Prophet  says  now.  Lest  L  set  her  as  on  the  day  of  her 
nativity,  and  set  her  as  the  desert.  Some  regard  the  letter  5, 
caphy  to  be  understood,  as  if  it  were  written,  ^^*]^^^,  cabe7md- 
ber,  as  in  the  desert ;  that  is,  I  will  set  her  as  she  was  formerly 
in  the  desert ;  and  this  exposition  is  not  unsuitable  ;  for  the 
day  of  nativity,  the  Prophet  doubtless  calls  that  time,  when 
the  people  were  brought  out  of  Egypt :  they  immediately 
entered  the  desert,  where  there  was  the  want  of  every  thing. 
They  might  then  have  soon  perished  there,  being  consumed  by 
famine  and  thirst,  had  not  the  Lord  miraculously  supported 
them.    The  sense  then  seems  consistent  by  this  rendering, 


80  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

Lest  I  set  her  as  in  the  desert,  and  as  in  a  dry  land.  But 
another  exposition  is  more  approved,  Lest  L  set  her  like  the 
desert  and  dry  land. 

With  regard  to  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view,  it  was 
necessary  to  remind  the  Israelites  here  of  what  they  were  at 
their  beginning.  For  whence  was  their  contempt  of  God, 
whence  was  their  obstinate  pride,  but  that  they  were  inebriated 
with  their  pleasures  ?  For  when  there  flowed  an  abundance 
of  all  good  things,  they  thought  of  themselves  that  they  had 
come  as  it  were  from-  the  clouds  ;  for  men  commonly  forget 
what  they  formerly  were,  when  the  Lord  has  made  them  rich. 
As  then  the  benefits  of  God  for  the  most  part  blind  us,  and 
make  us  to  think  ourselves  to  be  as  it  were  half-gods,  the 
Prophet  here  sets  before  the  children  of  Abraham  what  their 
condition  was  when  the  Lord  redeemed  them.  "  I  have  re- 
deemed you,"  he  says,  "from  the  greatest  miseries  and  extreme 
degradation."  Sons  of  kings  are  born  kings,  and  are  brought 
up  in  the  midst  of  pomps  and  pleasures  ;  nay,  before  they  are 
born,  great  pomps,  we  know,  are  prepared  for  them,  which 
they  enjoy  from  their  mother's  womb.  But  when  one  is  bom 
of  an  ignoble  and  obscure  mother,  and  begotten  by  a  mean 
and  poor  father,  and  afterwards  arises  to  a  different  condition, 
if  he  is  proud  of  his  splendour,  and  remembers  not  that  he 
was  once  a  plebeian  and  of  no  repute,  this  may  be  justly 
thrown  in  his  face,  "  Who  were  you  formerly  ?  Why !  do  you 
not  know  that  you  were  a  cow-herd,  or  a  mechanic,  or  one 
covered  with  filth  ?  Fortune  has  smiled  on  you,  or  God  has 
raised  you  to  riches  and  honours ;  but  you  are  so  self-com- 
placent as  though  your  condition  had  ever  been  the  same." 

This  is  the  drift  of  what  the  Prophet  says  :  ^^ I  will  set  thy 
mother,  he  says,  as  she  was  at  her  first  nativity.  For  who 
are  you  ?  A  holy  race,  a  chosen  nation,  a  people  sacred  to 
me  ?  Be  it  so :  but  free  adoption  has  brought  all  this  to 
you.  Ye  were  exiles  in  Egypt,  strangers  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  were  nothing  better  than  other  people.  Besides, 
Pharaoh  reduced  you  to  a  base  servitude,  ye  were  then  the 
most  abject  of  slaves.  How  magnificent,  with  regard  to  you, 
was  your  going  forth !  Did  you  not  flee  away  tremblingly 
and  in  the  night  ?     And  did  you  not  afterwards  live  in  a 


CHAP.  II.  4,  I).  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  81 


miraculous  way  for  forty  years  In  the  desert,  when  I  rained 
manna  on  you  from  the  clouds  ?  Since  then  your  poverty 
and  want  has  been  so  great,  since  there  is  nothing  to  make 
you  to  raise  your  crests,  how  is  it  that  you  show  no  more 
modesty  ?  But  if  your  present  condition  creates  in  you  for- 
getfulness,  I  will  set  you  as  on  the  day  of  your  nativity.'  It 
now  follows — 

4.  And  I  will  not  have  mercy  4.  Et  filiorum  ejus  non  miserabor,  quia 
upon  her  chUdren,  for  they  be    filii  aclulterini  sunt. 

the  children  of  whoredoms. 

5.  For  theii-  mother  hath  5.  Quia  scortata  est  mater  eorum,  pro- 
played  the  harlot;  she  that  con-  briis  fcedata  est  quje  concepit  ipsos,  (vel, 
ceived  them  hath  done  shame-  genitrix  ipsorum  :)  dixit  enim,  Ibo  post 
fully :  for  she  said,  I  will  go  araatores  meos,  datores  panis  mei  {vel, 
after  my  lovers,  that  gave  me  qui  dant  panem  meum)  et  aquas  meas, 
my  bread  and  my  water,  my  lanam  meam  et  liiium  meum,  et  oleum 
wool  and  my  flax,  mine  oil  and  meum  et  potum  meum. 

my  drink. 

The  Lord  now  comes  close  to  each  Individual,  after  having 
spoken  In  general  of  the  whole  people  :  and  thus  we  see  that 
to  be  true  which  I  have  said,  that  it  was  far  from  the  mind 
of  the  Prophet  -to  suppose,  that  God  here  teaches  the  faithful 
who  had  already  repented,  that  they  ought  to  condemn  their 
own  mother.  The  Prophet  meant  nothing  of  the  kind ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  he  wished  to  check  the  waywardness  of  the 
people,  who  ceased  not  to  contend  with  God,  as  though  he 
had  been  more  severe  than  just  towards  their  race.  Now 
then  he  reproves  each  of  them ;  your  children,  he  says,  /  will 
not  pity ;  for  they  are  spurious  children.  He  had  indeed  said 
before  that  they  had  been  born  by  adultery ;  but  he  after- 
wards received  them  into  favour.  This  is  true ;  but  what  I 
have  said  must  be  remembered,  that  the  Prophet  as  yet  con- 
tinues in  his  reproofs ;  for  though  he  has  mingled  some  con- 
solation, he  yet  saw  that  their  hearts  were  not  as  yet  contrite 
and  sufficiently  humbled.  We  must  bear  in  mind  the  differ- 
ence between  their  present  state  and  their  future  favour. 
God  before  promised  that  he  would  be  propitious  to  apostates 
who  had  departed  from  him :  but  now  he  shows  that  it  waa 
not  yet  the  ripe  time,  for  they  had  not  ceased  to  sin. 
Hence  he  says,  I  will  not  pity  your  children. 

Having  spoken  of  the  mother's  divorce,  he  now  says  that 

VOL.  I.  F 


82  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

the  children,  born  of  adultery,  were  not  his  :  and  certainly 
what  the  Prophet  promised  before  was  not  immediately  ful- 
filled ;  for  the  people,  we  know,  had  been  disowned,  and  when 
deprived  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  were  rejected,  as  it  were,  by 
the  Lord.     The  Babylonian  exile  was  a  kind  of  death  :  and 
then  when  they  returned  from  exile,  a  small  portion  only 
returned,  not  the  whole  people ;  and  they  were  tossed,  we 
know,  by  many  calamities  until  Christ  our  Redeemer  appeared. 
Since  then  the  Prophet  included  the  whole  of  this  time,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  he  says  that  the  children  were  to  be  repudi- 
ated by  the  Lord,  because  they  were  born  of  adultery :  for 
until  they  returned  from  captivity,  and  Christ  was  at  length 
revealed,  this  repudiation,  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks,  ever 
continued.      Thy  children,  he  says,  I  will  not  pity.     At  first 
sight  it  seems  very  dreadful,  that  God  takes  away  the  hope 
of  mercy  ;  but  we  ought  to  confine  this  sentence  to  that  time 
during  which  it  pleased  God  to  cast  away  his  people.     As 
long,  then,  as  that  temporary  casting  away  lasted,  God's  favour 
was  hid  ;  and  to  this  the  Prophet  now  refers,  /  will  not  then 
pity  her  children,  _/or  they  are  horn  hy  adultery.     At  the  same 
time,  we  must  remember  that  this  sentence  specifically  be- 
longed to  the  reprobate,  who  boasted  of  being  the  children 
of  Abraham,  while  they  were  profane  and  unholy,  while  they 
impiously  perverted  the  whole  worship  of  God,  while  they 
were  wholly  ungovernable.     Then  the  Prophet  justly  pro- 
nounces such  a  severe  judgment  on  obstinate  men,  who  could 
be  reformed  by  no  admonitions. 

He  afterwards  declares  how  the  children  became  spurious ; 
their  mother,  toho  conceived  or  bare  them,  has  been  wanton ;  with 
shameful  acts  hath  she  defiled  herself.  ^"J^,  bush,  means,  to  be 
ashamed ;  but  here  the  Prophet  means  not  that  the  Israelites 
were  touched  with  shame,  for  such  a  meaning  would  be  in- 
consistent with  the  former  sentence ;  but  that  they  were  like 
a  shameless  and  infamous  woman,  touched  with  no  shame  for 
her  baseness.  Their  mother,  then,  had  been  wanton,  and  she 
toho  bare  them  had  become  scandalous.  Here  the  Prophet  strips 
the  Israelites  of  their  foolish  confidence,  who  were  wont  to 
profess  the  name  of  God,  while  they  were  entirely  alienated 
from  him  :  for  they  had  fallen  away  by  their  impiety  from 


CHAP.  II.  4,  5.         COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  83 


pure  worship,  they  had  rejected  the  laAV,  yea,  and  every  yoke. 
Since  then  they  were  wild  beasts,  it  was  extreme  stupidity 
ever  to  set  up  for  thek  shield  the  name  of  God,  and  ever  to 
boast  of  the  adoption  of  their  father  Abraham.  But  as  the 
Jews  were  so  perversely  proud,  the  Prophet  here  answers 
them,  "  Your  mother  has  been  wanton^  and  with  shameful  acts 
hath  she  defiled  herself;  I  will  not  therefore  count  nor  own  you 
as  my  children,  for  ye  were  born  by  adultery." 

This  passage  confirms  what  I  have  shortly  before  explained, 
— that  it  is  not  enough  that  God  should  choose  any  people 
for  himself,  except  the  people  themselves  persevere  in  the 
obedience  of  faith ;  for  this  is  the  spiritual  chastity  which  the 
Lord  requires  from  all  his  people.  But  when  is  a  wife,  whom 
God  hath  bound  to  himself  by  a  sacred  marriage,  said  to  be- 
come wanton  ?  "When  she  falls  away,  as  we  shall  more  clearly 
see  hereafter,  from  pure  and  sound  faith.  Then  it  follows 
that  the  marriage  between  God  and  men  so  long  endures  as 
they  who  have  been  adopted  continue  in  pure  faith,  and 
apostacy  in  a  manner  frees  God  from  us,  so  that  he  may 
justly  repudiate  us.  Since  such  apostacy  prevails  under  the 
Papacy,  and  has  for  many  ages  prevailed,  how  senseless  they 
are  in  their  boastings  while  they  would  be  thought  to  be  the 
holy  Catholic  Church,  and  the  elect  people  of  God  ?  For 
they  are  all  born  by  wantonness,  they  are  all  spurious  child- 
ren. The  incorruptible  seed  is  the  word  of  God ;  but  what 
sort  of  doctrine  have  they  ?  It  is  a  spurious  seed.  Then  as 
to  God  all  the  Papists  are  bastards.  In  vain  then  they  boast 
themselves  to  be  the  children  of  God,  and  that  they  have  the 
holy  Mother  Church,  for  they  are  born  by  filthy  wantonness. 

The  Prophet  pursues  still  the  same  subject :  She  said,  I  will 
go  after  my  lovers,  the  givers  of  my  bread,  of  my  waters,  of  my 
wool,  and  of  my  flax,  and  of  my  oil,  and  of  my  drink.  The 
Prophet  here  defines  the  whoredom  of  which  he  had  spoken  : 
this  part  is  explanatory  ;  the  Prophet  unfolds  in  several  words 
what  he  had  briefly  touched  when  he  said,  your  mother  has 
been  wanton.  Now,  if  the  Jews  object  and  say.  How  has  she 
become  wanton?  Because,  she  said,  I  will  go  after  my  lovers, 
v)ho  give  me  my  bread  and  my  waters,  8fc.  The  Prophet  here 
compares  false  gods  to  lovers,  who  seduce  women  from  their 


84  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IV. 

conjugal  fidelity  ;  for  he  pursues  the  similitude  which  he  had 
introduced.  The  Church,  to  whom  God  has  pledged  his 
faith,  is  represented  as  a  wife  ;  and  as  a  woman  does,  when 
enticed  by  gifts,  and  as  many  women  follow  covetousness  and 
become  lasciviousj  that  they  may  dress  sumptuously,  and  live 
luxuriously,  so  the  Prophet  now  points  out  this  vice  in  the 
Israelitic  Church,  She  said,  I  loill  go  after  my  lovers.  Some 
understand  by  lovers  either  the  Assyrians  or  the  Egyptians ; 
for  when  the  Israelites  formed  connections  with  these  heathen 
nations,  they  were  drawn  away,  we  know,  from  their  God. 
But  the  Prophet  inveighs  especially  against  false  and  corrupt 
modes  of  worship,  and  all  kinds  of  superstitions ;  for  the  pure 
worship  of  God,  we  know,  is  ever  to  have  the  first  place,  and 
that  justly ;  for  on  this  depend  all  the  duties  of  life.  I  there- 
fore doubt  not,  but  that  he  includes  all  false  gods,  when  he 
says,  /  will  go  after  my  lovers. 

But  by  introducing  the  word,  said,  he  amplifies  the  shame- 
lessness  of  the  people,  who  deliberately  forsook  their  God, 
who  was  to  them  as  a  legitimate  husband.     It  indeed  happens 
sometimes  that  a  man  is  thoughtlessly  drawn  aside  by  a  mis- 
take or  folly,  but  he  soon  repents ;  for  we  see  many  of  the 
unexperienced  deceived  for  a  short  time :  but  the  Prophet 
here  shows  that  the  Israelites  premeditated  their  unfaithful- 
ness, so  that  they  wilfuUy  departed  from  God.     Hence  she 
said;  and  we  know  that  this  said  means  so  much ;  and  it  is 
to  be  referred,  not  to  the  outward  word  as  pronounced,  but 
to  the  inward  purpose.     She  therefore  said,  that  is,  she  made 
this  resolution  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Let  no  one  make  this 
frivolous  excuse,  that  they  were  deceived,  that  they  did  it  in 
their  simplicity :    ye  are,  he  says,  avowedly  perfidious,  ye 
have  with  a  premeditated  purpose  sought  this  divorce."    He, 
however,  ascribes  this  to  their  mother :  for  defection  began 
at  the   root,  when   they  were  drawn  away   by   Jeroboam 
into  corrupt  superstitions ;  and  the  promotion  of  this    evil 
became  as  it  were  hereditary.     He  therefore  intended  to  con- 
demn here  the  whole  community.     Hence,  she  said,  I  will  go 
after  my  lovers,  who  give  me  my  bread  and  my  waters.   But 
I    cannot  finish  to-day ;    I  must   therefore   break   off  the 
sentence. 


CHAP.  II.  4,  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  85 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  not  only  of  late  adopted 
us  as  thy  chUcben,  but  before  we  were  born,  and  as  thou  hast 
been  pleased  to  sign  us,  as  soon  as  we  came  forth  from  our 
mother's  womb,  with  the  symbol  of  that  holy  redemption,  which 
has  been  obtained  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy  only  begotten 
Son,  though  we  have  by  our  ingratitude  renounced  so  gi-eat  a 
benefit, — O  grant,  that  being  mindfiil  of  our  defection  and  un- 
faithfulness, of  which  we  are  all  guilty,  and  for  which  thou 
hast  justly  rejected  us,  we  may  now  with  true  humility  and 
obedience  of  faith  embrace  the  grace  of  thy  gospel  now  again 
offered  to  us,  by  which  thou  reconcilest  thyself  to  us  ;  and 
grant  that  we  may  stedfastly  persevere  in  pm*e  faith,  so  as 
never  to  tm'n  aside  from  the  true  obedience  of  faith,  buJ  to  ad- 
vance more  and  more  in  the  knowledge  of  thy  mercy,  that  having 
strong  and  deep  roots,  and  being  firmly  grounded  in  the  con- 
fidence of  sure  faith,  we  may  never  fall  away  from  the  true 
worship  of  thee,  until  thou  at  length  receivest  us  into  that 
eternal  kingdom,  which  has  been  procured  for  us  by  the  blood 
of  thy  only  Son.     Amen. 


lecture  S<(tff, 

It  remains  for  us  to  explain  what  the  Prophet  declares  con- 
cerning the  Israelites,  that  they  boasted  of  their  abundance 
of  wine  and  oil,  and  all  good  things,  as  having  come  to  them 
through  their  superstitions.  What,  then,  they  ought  to  have 
ascribed  to  God  alone,  they  absurdly  transferred  to  their  idols. 
Of  this  ingratitude  the  Prophet  here  accuses  them  in  the  person 
of  God  himself,  and  at  the  same  time  shows  that  the  ungodly 
are  so  deluded  by  prosperity,  that  they  harden  themselves 
more  and  more  in  their  superstitions  ;  and  this  is  not  the  case 
only  at  one  time,  but  almost  universally  in  the  world.  We 
see  how  full  of  pride  the  Papists  are  at  this  day,  because  they 
bear  rule  in  the  world,  and  possess  riches  and  honours.  They 
think  their  services  acceptable  to  God,  because  he  shows  not 
himself  openly  opposed  to  and  angry  with  them  ;  and  so  it 
has  been  from  the  beginning. 

But  the  Prophet  here  condemns  this  foolish  presumption, 
that  we  may  learn  not  to  judge  at  all  times  of  God's  love  by 
the  prosperous  issue  of  events.     There  are  then  two  things  to 


86  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.  LECT.  V. 

be  observed  here, — that  the  superstitious  falsely  ascribe  to 
their  idols  what  comes  from  God  alone; — and  further,  that 
they  conclude  that  they  are  loved  by  God,  whenever  he  does 
not  immediately  take  vengeance  on  them.  The  Sodomites, 
we  find,  became  obstinate  in  their  sins  for  the  same  reason ; 
when  all  kinds  of  pleasures  abounded,  they  thought  themselves 
to  be  approved  of  God.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  what 
follows. 

6.  Therefore,  behold,  I  6.  Propterea  ecce  ego  concludo  viam  -tuam 

will    hedge  up  thy  way  spinis,  et  circumdo  (circumdabo)  sepem  (ad 

with  thorns,  and  make  a  verbum^  sepire  sepem  ;  sed  tamen  sensus  cla- 

wall,   that  she  shall  not  rus  est,  ch-cumdabo  sepem,  vel  maceriem)  et 

find  her  paths.  semitam  suam  non  reperiet. 

The  Prophet  here  pursues  the  subject  we  touched  upon 
yesterday  ;  for  he  shows  how  necessary  chastisement  is,  when 
people  felicitate  themselves  in  their  vices.  And  God,  when 
he  sees  that  men  confess  not  immediately  their  sins,  defends 
as  it  were  his  own  cause,  as  one  pleading  before  a  judge.  In 
a  word,  God  here  shows,  that  he  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
punish  so  great  an  obstinacy  in  the  people,  as  there  appeared 
no  other  remedy. 

Therefore,  he  says,  behold  I — .    There  is  a  special  meaning 
in   these   words;    for   God   testifies   that  he  becomes   the 
avenger  of  impieties,  when  people  are  brought  into  straits ; 
as  though  he  said,  "  Though  the  Israelites  are  not  ready  to 
confess  that  they  suffer  justly,  yet  I  now  declare  that  to 
punish  them  will  be  my  work,  when  they  shall  be  deprived 
of  their  pleasures,  and  when  the  occasion  of  their  pride  shall 
be  removed  from  them."     And  he  intimates  by  the  meta- 
phorical words  he  uses,  that  he  would  so  deal  with  them,  as 
to  keep  the  people  from  wandering,  as  they  had  done  hitherto, 
after  their  idols  ;  but  he  retains  the  similitude  of  a  harlot. 
Now  when  an  unchaste  wife  goes  after  her  paramours,  the 
husband  must  either  connive  at  her,  or  be  not  aware  of  her 
base  conduct.     However  this   may  be,  wives  cannot  thus 
violate  the  marriage-vow,  except  they  are  set  at  liberty  by 
their  husbands.     But  when  a  husband  understands  that  his 
wife  plays  the  wanton,  he  watches  her  more  closely,  notices 
all  her  ways  day  and  night.     God  now  takes  up  this  com- 
parison, /  ivill  close  up,  he  says,  her  way  with  thorns,  and  sur- 


CHAP.  II.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  87 

round  her  with  a  mound,  that  there  may  be  no  way  of  access 
open  to  adulterers. 

But  by  this  simile  the  Prophet  means  that  the  people 
would  be  reduced  to  such  straits,  that  they  might  not 
lasciviate,  as  they  had  done,  in  their  superstitions  ;  for  while 
the  Israelites  enjoyed  prosperity,  they  thought  everything 
lawful  for  them  ;  hence  their  security,  and  hence  their  con- 
tempt of  the  word  of  the  Lord.  By  hedge,  then,  and  by  thorns, 
God  means  those  adversities  by  which  he  restrains  the  un- 
godly, so  that  they  may  cease  to  flatter  themselves,  and  may 
not  thoughtlessly  follow,  as  they  were  before  wont  to  do, 
their  own  superstitions.  She  shall  not  then  find  her  ways ; 
that  is,  "  I  will  constrain  them  so  to  groan  under  the  burden 
of  evils,  that  they  shall  no  longer,  as  they  have  hitherto  done, 
allow  loose  reins  to  themselves,"     It  afterwards  follows — 

7.  And  she  shall  foUo-w  after  her  7.    Et    persequetur   amatores 

lovers,  but    she    shall  not  overtake  suos,  et    non  apprehendet  eos ; 

them ;  and  she  shall  seek  them,  and  et  quasret  eos,  et  non  inveniet : 

shall  not  find  them :   then  shall  she  tunc    dicet,  Ibo  et  revertar  ad 

say,  I  will  go  and  return  to  my  first  maritum   meum    priorem,    quia 

husband  ;  for  then  was  it  better  with  melius    mihi    tunc    fuit      quam 

me  than  now.  nunc. 

God  now  shows  what  takes  place  when  he  chastises  har- 
dened and  rebellious  people  with  heavy  punishment.  In  the 
first  clause  he  shows  that  perverseness  will  cleave  so  com- 
pletely to  their  hearts,  that  they  will  not  immediately  return 
to  a  sound  mind.  She  icillfolloio  her  lovers,  he  says,  and  seek 
them.  Here  the  Prophet  tells  us,  that  though  the  Israelites 
should  be  chastised  by  frequent  punishments,  they  would  yet 
continue  in  their  obstinacy.  It  hence  appears  how  hard  a 
neck  they  had,  and  how  uncircumeised  in  heart  they  were  ; 
and  such  did  the  Prophets,  as  well  as  Moses,  represent  them 
to  be.  And  we  hence  learn,  that  had  they  been  only  mode- 
rately corrected,  it  would  not  have  been  sufficient  for  their 
amendment.  Amazing,  indeed,  was  their  obstinacy  ;  for  God 
had  divorced  them,  and  then  led  them  into  great  straits  ;  and 
yet  they  went  on  in  their  course,  as  though  they  were  utterly 
stupid  and  destitute  of  every  feeling.  Is  it  not  a  prodigious 
madness,  when  men  run  on  so  obstinately,  even  when  God 
sets  his  hand  so  strongly  against  them  ?  Such,  however,  is 
represented  to  have  been  the  obstinacy  of  the  Israelites. 


88  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.  LECT.  V. 

The  meaning  then  is,  that  when  they  were  subdued,  God 
would  not  immediately  soften  their  hearts.  Then  God,  though 
he  bruised,  did  not  yet  reform  them  ;  for  their  hardness  was 
so  great,  that  they  could  not  be  turned  immediately  to  a 
docile  state  of  mind  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  followed  their 
lovers.  By  the  word,  folloic,  is  expressed  that  mad  zeal  which 
possesses  idolaters  ;  for  as  we  see,  they  are  like  men  who  are 
frantic.  As  then  the  superstitious  know  no  bounds,  nor  any 
moderation,  but  a  mad  zeal  at  times  lays  hold  on  them,  the 
Prophet  says,  She  will  follow  her  lovers,  and  shall  not  overtake 
them.  AVhat  does  the  latter  clause  mean  ?  That  God  will 
frustrate  the  hope  of  the  ungodly,  that  they  may  know  that 
they  in  vain  worship  false  gods  and  follow  with  avidity  ab- 
surd superstitions.  They  loill  seek  them,  he  says,  and  shall  not 
find  them.  He  ever  speaks  of  the  people  under  the  character 
of  a  shameless  and  unfaithful  wife. 

We  then  see  what  the  Prophet  intended  to  do, — to  vindi- 
cate God  from  every  blame,  that  men  might  not  raise  a 
clamour,  as  though  he  dealt  unkindly  with  them.  He  shows 
that  God,  even  when  so  rigid,  produces  hardly  any  effect ; 
for  the  ungodly  in  their  perverseness  struggle  against  his 
scourges,  and  suifer  not  themselves  to  be  brought  imme- 
diately into  due  order. 

But  in  the  second  clause  the  Prophet  adds,  that  some 
benefit  would  at  length  arise,  that  though  idolaters  abused 
God's  goodness,  and  even  hardened  themselves  against  his 
rods,  yet  this  would  not  be  perpetually  the  case ;  for  the 
Lord  would  grant  better  success.  Hence  it  follows,  She  will 
then  say,  Iivill  go  and  return  to  my  former  husband.  Here  the 
Prophet  shows  more  clearly  a  hope  of  pardon,  inasmuch  as 
he  speaks  of  the  people's  repentance ;  for  men,  we  know,  re- 
pent not  without  benefit,  as  God  is  ever  ready  to  receive 
them  when  they  return  to  him  in  genuine  sorrow.  Then  the 
Prophet  here  avowedly  speaks  of  the  repentance  of  the 
people,  that  the  Israelites  might  hence  know,  that  correc- 
tions, which  men  naturally  ever  dislike,  would  be  profitable 
to  them.  It  is  our  wish  that  God  should  always  favour  us, 
and  that  we  should  be  nourished  kindly  and  tenderly  in  his 
bosom ;  but  in  the  meantime,  he  cannot  allure  us  to  himself, 
by  whatever  means  he  may  try  to  do  so :  and  hence  it  is, 


CHAP.  II.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  89 

that  chastisements  are  bitter  to  us,  and  our  flesh  immediately 
murmurs.  When  the  Lord  raises  his  finger,  before  he  strikes 
us,  we  instantly  groan  and  become  angry,  and  even  roar 
against  him  :  in  short,  men  can  never  be  brought  willingly  to 
offer  themselves  to  be  chastised  by  God.  Hence  the  Prophet 
now  shows,  that  the  severity  of  God  is  profitable  to  us  ;  for 
it  drives  us  at  length  to  repentance :  in  a  word,  he  com- 
mends the  favour  of  God  in  his  very  severity,  that  we  may 
know  that  he  furthers  our  salvation,  even  when  he  seems  to 
treat  us  most  unkindly.  Site  loill  then  say,  I  will  go  and  return 
to  my  former  husband. 

But  we  must  observe,  that  when  men  really  repent, 
they  do  so  through  the  special  influence  of  the  Spirit ; 
for  they  would  otherwise  perpetually  remain  in  that  per- 
verseness  of  which  we  have  spoken.  Were  God  for  a 
hundred  years  continually  to  chastise  perverse  men,  they 
would  not  yet  change  their  disposition ;  and  true  is  that 
common  saying,  "  The  wicked  are  sooner  broken  than  re- 
formed." But  when  men,  after  many  admonitions,  begin  to 
be  wise,  this  change  comes  through  the  Spirit  of  God.  We 
may  also  learn  from  this  passage  what  true  repentance  is ; 
that  is,  when  he  who  has  sinned  not  only  confesses  himself 
to  be  guilty,  and  owns  himself  worthy  of  punishment,  but  is 
also  displeased  with  himself,  and  then  with  sincere  desire 
turns  to  God.  Many,  we  see,  are  ready  enough,  and  dis- 
posed, to  confess  their  sins,  and  yet  go  on  in  the  same  course. 
But  the  Prophet  shows  here  that  true  repentance  is  some- 
thing very  different,  /  loill  go  and  return,  he  says.  Repent- 
ance then  consists  (as  they  say)  in  the  act  itself;  that  is, 
repentance  produces  a  reforming  change  in  man,  so  that  he 
reconciles  himself  to  God,  whom  he  had  forsaken. 

I  will  then^o  and  return  to  my  former  husband.  Why?  Be- 
cause better  xoas  it  with  me  then  than  note.  The  Prophet  ao-ain 
confirms  what  I  lately  said, — that  the  faithful  are  not  made 
wise,  except  they  are  well  chastised ;  for  the  Prophet  speaks 
not  here  of  the  reprobate,  but  of  the  remnant  seed.  The  people 
of  Israel  were  to  be  exterminated ;  but  the  Prophet  now  de- 
clares that  there  would  be  some  remaining,  who  would  at 
last  receive  benefit  from  God's  chastisements.   Since  then  we 


90  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  V. 

must  understand  the  Prophet  as  speaking  of  the  elect,  we 
may  hence  readily  conclude,  that  chastisements  are  necessary 
for  us  ;  for  we  grow  torpid  in  our  vices,  as  long  as  God  spares 
us.  Unless,  then,  it  appears  that  God  is  really  displeased 
with  us,  it  will  never  come  to  our  minds,  that  we  ought  to 
repent.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

8.  For  she  did  not  know  that  8.  Et  ipsa  non  cognovit  quod  ego 
I  gave  her  corn  and  wine  and  dederim  ei  triticum  et  vinum  (SJ^'l^Tl 
oil,  and  multiplied  her  silver  and  significat  propice  mustum,)  et  oleum, 
gold,  which  they  prepared  for  et  argentum  multiplicaverim  ei,  et  au- 
Baal.  rum  aptarunt  ipsi  Baal. 

9.  Therefore  will  I  return  and  9.  Propterea  revertar  et  tollam  tri- 
take  away  my  corn  in  the  time  ticum  meum  tempore  suo,  et  mustum 
thereof,  and  my  wine  in  the  meum  suo  statuto  tempore,  et  linum 
season  thereof,  and  will  recover  meum  ad  tegeudum  tui-pitudinem  ejus 
my  wool  and  my  flax,  given  to  (yel^  nuditatem ;  hoc  est,  quibus  texit 
cover  her  nakedness.  suam  nuditatem.) 

God  here  amplifies  the  ingratitude  of  the  people,  that  they 
imderstood  not  whence  came  such  abundance  of  good  things. 
She  understood  7iot,  he  says,  that  I  gave  to  Iter  corn  and  loine. 
The  superstitious  sin  twice,  or  in  two  ways ; — first,  they 
ascribe  to  their  idols  what  rightly  belongs  to  God  alone  ; 
and  then,  they  deprive  God  himself  of  his  own  honour,  for 
they  understand  not  that  he  is  the  only  giver  of  all  things, 
but  think  their  labour  lost  were  they  to  worship  the  true 
God.  Hence  the  Prophet  now  complains  of  this  ingratitude. 
She  understood  not  that  I  gave  to  her  corn  and  icine  and  oil.  And 
this  was  an  inexcusable  stupidity  in  the  Israelites,  since  they 
had  been  abundantly  instructed,  that  the  abundance  of  all 
good  things,  and  every  thing  that  supports  man,  flow  from 
God's  bounty.  Of  this  they  had  the  clear  testimony  of  Moses  ; 
and  then  the  land  of  Canaan  itself  was  a  living  representa- 
tion of  the  Divine  favour.  It  was  then  a  prodigious  madness 
in  the  people,  that  they  who  had  been  taught  by  word  and 
by  facts  that  God  alone  is  the  giver  of  all  things,  should  yet 
not  consider  this  truth.  The  Prophet,  therefore,  condemns 
this  outrageous  foUy  of  the  people,  that  neither  experience 
nor  the  teaching  of  the  law  availed  anything.  She  kneio  not^ 
he  says.  There  is  stress  to  be  laid  on  the  pronoun,  she  ;  for 
the  people  ought  to  have  been  familiarly  acquainted  with 
God,  inasmuch  as  they  had  been  brought  up  in  his  house- 


CHAP.  II.  8,  9.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  91 

hold,  as  a  wife,  who  is  her  husband's  companion.  It  was  then 
incapable  of  any  excuse,  that  the  people  should  thus  turn 
their  minds  and  all  their  thoughts  away  from  God. 

She  knew  not  then  that  I  had  given  to  her  corn  and  wine  and 
oil,  that  I  had  multiplied  to  her  the  silver,  and  also  the  gold  she 
has  prepared  for  Baal.  The  verb  nb^y?  oshe,  means  specifically, 
to  make  :  but  here  to  appropriate  to  a  certain  purpose.  They 
have,  therefore,  prepared  gold  for  Baal ;  when  they  ought  to 
have  dedicated  to  me  the  first-fruits  of  all  good  things,  in 
obedience  to  me  and  to  the  honour  of  my  name,  they  have 
appropriated  to  Baal  whatever  blessings  I  have  bestowed  on 
them.  We  then  see  that  in  this  verse  two  evils  are  con- 
demned,— that  the  people  deprived  God  of  his  just  honour, — 
and  that  they  transferred  to  their  own  idols  what  they  ought 
to  have  given  to  God  only.  But  he  touched  upon  the  last 
wickedness  in  the  fifth  verse,  where  he  said  in  the  person  of 
the  people,  /  will  go  after  my  lovers,  who  give  my  bread  and 
my  waters,  my  wool  and  my  wine,  &c.  Here  again  he  repeats, 
that  they  had  prepared  gold  for  Baal. 

As  to  the  word  Baal,  no  doubt  the  superstitious  included 
under  this  name  all  those  whom  they  called  inferior  gods. 
No  such  madness  had  indeed  possessed  the  Israelites,  that 
they  had  forgotten  that  there  is  but  one  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth.  They  therefore  maintained  the  truth,  that  there 
is  some  supreme  God ;  but  they  added  their  patrons ;  and 
this,  by  common  consent,  was  the  practice  of  all  nations. 
They  did  not  then  think  that  God  was  altogether  robbed  of 
his  own  glory,  when  they  joined  with  him  patrons  or  inferior 
gods.  And  they  called  them  by  a  common  name,  Baalim,  or, 
as  it  were,  patrons.  Baal  of  every  kind  was  a  patron.  Some 
render  it,  husband.  But  foolish  men,  I  doubt  not,  have  ever 
had  this  superstitious  notion,  that  inferior  gods  come  nearer 
to  men,  and  are,  as  it  were,  mediators  between  this  world  and 
the  supreme  God.  It  is  the  same  with  the  Papists  of  the 
present  day ;  they  have  their  Baalim ;  not  that  they  reo-ard 
their  patrons  in  the  place  of  God :  but  as  they  dread  every 
access  to  God,  and  understand  not  that  Christ  is  a  mediator, 
they  betake  themselves  here  and  there  to  various  Baalim,  that 
they  may  procure  favour  to  themselves;  and  at  the  same 


92  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  V. 

time,  whatever  honour  they  show  to  stones,  or  wood,  or  bones 
of  dead  men,  or  to  any  of  their  own  inventions,  they  call  it 
the  Avorship  of  God.  Whatever,  then,  is  worshipped  by  the 
Papists  is  Baal :  but  they  have,  at  the  same  time,  their  pa- 
trons for  their  Baalim.  We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning 
of  the  Prophet  in  this  verse. 

It  now  follows.  Therefore  loill  I  return,  and  take  away  my 
corn  in  its  time,  and  my  new  wine  in  its  stated  time.  Here, 
again,  the  Prophet  shows  that  God  was,  by  extreme  neces- 
sity, constrained  to  take  vengeance  on  an  ungodly  and  irre- 
claimable people.  He  makes  known  how  great  was  the  hard- 
ness of  the  people,  and  then  adds,  "  What  now  remains,  but 
to  deprive  those  who  have  been  so  ungrateful  to  me  of  all 
their  blessings  ?"  It  is,  indeed,  more  than  base  for  men  to 
enjoy  the  gifts  of  God  and  to  despise  the  giver;  yea,  to  exalt 
his  creatures  to  his  place,  and  to  reduce,  as  it  were,  all  his 
authority  to  nothing.  This  the  superstitious  indeed  do,  for 
they  thrust  God  from  his  pre-eminence,  and  insult  his  glory. 
Will  God,  in  the  meantime,  so  throw  away  his  blessings  as 
to  suffer  them  to  be  profaned  by  the  ungodly,  and  himself  to 
be  thus  mocked  with  impunity  ?  We  now  then  see  the  object 
of  the  Prophet ;  for  God  here  shows  that  there  was  no  other 
remedy,  but  to  deprive  the  Israelites  of  all  their  gifts :  he 
had  indeed  enriched  them,  but  they  had  abused  all  their 
abundance.  It  was  therefore  necessary  to  reduce  them  to 
extreme  want,  that  they  might  no  longer  pollute  God's  gifts, 
which  ought  to  be  held  sacred  by  us. 

And  he  uses  a  very  suitable  word ;  for  7^f35  netsel,  means 
properly,  to  pluck  away,  to  set  free.  /  will  by  force  take 
away,  he  says,  my  wool  and  my  flax.  It  seems,  indeed,  to  de- 
note an  unjust  possession,  as  when  one  takes  away  by  force 
from  the  hand  of  a  robber  what  he  unjustly  possesses,  or  as 
when  any  one  rescues  wretched  men  from  the  power  of  a 
tyrant.  So  God  now  speaks,  '  I  will  pluck  away  my  gifts 
from  these  men  who  basely  and  unjustly  pollute  them.' 

And  he  adds,  to  cover  her  nakedness.  n*11J^j  orue,  properly, 
though  not  simply,  means  nakedness  :  it  is  the  nakedness  of 
the  uncomely  parts.  Moses  calls  any  indecorous  part  of  the 
body  TTn^i  oi'uc;  and  so  it  means  what  is  uncomely.     This 


CHAP.  II.  8,  9.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  93 

word  we  ought  carefully  to  notice ;  for  God  here  shows,  that 
except  he  denudes  idolaters,  they  will  ever  continue  obstinate. 
How  so?  Because  they  use  coverings  for  their  baseness. 
While  the  ungodly  enjoy  their  triumphs  in  the  world,  they 
regard  them  as  veils  drawn  over  them,  so  that  nothing  base 
or  disgraceful  can  be  seen  in  them.  The  same  is  the  case 
with  great  kings  and  monarchs ;  they  think  that  the  eyes  of 
all  are  dazzled  by  their  splendour ;  and  hence  it  is,  that  they 
are  so  audaciously  dissolute.  They  think  their  own  filth  to 
be  fine  odour :  such  is  the  arrogance  of  the  world.  It  is  even 
so  with  the  superstitious ;  when  God  is  indulgent  to  them, 
they  think  that  they  have  coverings.  When,  therefore,  they 
abandon  themselves  to  any  kind  of  wickedness,  they  regard 
it  as  if  it  were  a  holy  thing.  How  so  ?  Because,  whatever 
obscene  thing  is  in  them,  it  is  covered  by  prosperity.  When 
God  observes  such  madness  as  this  in  men,  can  he  do  other- 
wise than  pluck  away  his  blessings,  that  such  a  pollution  may 
not  continually  prevail  ?  For  it  is  an  abuse  extremely  gross, 
that  when  God's  blessings  are  so  many  images  of  his  glory, 
and  when  his  paternal  goodness  shines  forth  even  towards  the 
ungodly,  the  world  should  convert  them  to  a  purpose  wholly 
contrary,  and  make  them  as  coverings  for  themselves,  that 
they  may  conceal  their  own  baseness,  and  more  freely  sin 
and  carry  on  war  against  God  himself.  Hence  he  says, 
"  That  they  may  no  longer  cover  their  baseness,  I  will  pluck 
away  whatever  I  have  bestowed  on  them." 

When  he  says,  /  will  take  away  the  corn  and  wine  in  its 
time,  and  in  its  stated  time,  he  alludes,  I  have  no  doubt,  to  the 
time  of  harvest  and  vintage  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  The  harvest 
will  come,  the  vintage  will  come :  there  has  been  hitherto 
great  fruitfulness  ;  but  I  will  show  that  the  earth  and  all  its 
fruits  are  subject  to  my  will.  Though,  then,  the  Israelites 
are  now  full,  and  have  their  storehouses  well  furnished,  they 
shall  know  that  I  rule  over  the  harvest  and  the  vintage,  when 
the  stated  time  shall  come."  Now,  the  Spirit  of  God  de- 
nounced this  punishment  early,  that  the  Israelites,  if  reclaim- 
able,  might  return  to  a  right  course.  But  as  their  blindness 
was  so  great  that  they  despised  all  that  had  been  said  to 
them,  no  excuse  remained  for  them.     It  now  follows — 


94  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  V. 

10.  And  uow  will  I  discover  10.  Et  nunc  retegam  flagitium  ejus 
her  lewdness  in  the  sight  of  her  in  oculis  amatorum  ejus,  et  nuUus 
lovers,  and  none  shall  deliver  her    eripiet  earn  e  manu  mea. 

out  of  mine  hand. 

11.  And  I  will  also  cause  all  her  11.  Et  cessare  faciam  omne  gaudi- 
mirth  to  cease,  her  feast-days,  um  ejus,  festivitatem  ejus  {alii  ver- 
her  new-moons,  and  her  sabbaths,  iunt^  tripudium,)  novilunium  ejus, 
and  all  her  solemn  feasts.  sabbathum  ejus  et  omnem  diem  ejus 

festum. 

12.  And  I  will  destroy  her  vines  12.  Et  destruam  (vel,  in  solitudinem 
and  her  fig-trees,  whereof  she  redigam)  vineam  ejus  etficum  ejus,  de 
hath  said,  These  are  my  rewards  quibus  dixit,  Merces  hsec  sunt  mihi, 
that  my  lovers  have  given  me :  quam  dederunt  mihi  amatores  mei : 
and  I  wiU  make  them  a  forest,  et  ponam  eas  (vcl^  redigam,  nempe 
and  the  beasts  of  the  field  shall  vineas  etficus)  in  sylvam,  et  comedet 
eat  them.  (?ue/,  depascet)  eas  fera  campestris. 

He  pursues  the  same  subject ;  and  the  Prophet  explains 
at  large,  and  even  divides  what  he  had  briefly  said  before, 
into  many  clauses  or  particulars.  He  says  first,  I  will  un- 
cover her  baseness.  How  was  this  done?  By  God,  when 
he  took  away  the  coverings  by  which  the  Israelites  kept 
themselves  hid :  for,  as  we  have  said,  hypocrites  felicitate 
themselves  on  account  of  God's  gifts,  and  thus  hide  them- 
selves as  thieves  do  in  caverns ;  and  they  think  that  they  can 
mock  God  with  impunity  ;  for,  through  the  fatness  of  their 
eyes,  as  it  is  said  in  Psal.  Ixxiii.  7,  they  have  but  a  very  dim 
sight.  Now,  then,  God  declares,  that  the  filthiness  of  the 
people  would  be  made  to  appear,  when  he  deprived  them  of 
those  gifts  with  which  he  had  for  a  time  enriched  them. 

Now,  he  says,  will  I  uncover  her  baseness  before  the  eyes  of 
her  lovers.  By  this  sentence  he  intimates  a  change,  of  which 
the  people  were  not  apprehensive ;  for,  as  long  as  the  wicked 
feel  not  the  strokes,  they  laugh  at  all  threatenings.  Hence 
God,  that  he  might  rouse  them  from  such  an  indifference, 
says,  Now  will  I  uncover  her  before  the  eyes  of  her  lovers.  The 
Prophet,  no  doubt,  speaks  of  false  gods,  and  of  all  those  de- 
vices by  which  the  Israelites  corrupted  the  pure  worship  of 
God:  for  I  cannot  be  persuaded  to  explain  this  either  of 
the  Assyrians  or  of  the  Egyptians.  I  indeed  know,  as  I 
mentioned  briefly  yesterday,  that  the  treaties  into  which  the 
Jews,  as  well  as  the  Israelites,  entered  with  idolaters,  were  the 
tenter-hooks  of  Satan :  this  I  allow ;  but  at  the  same  time, 
I  look  on  what  the  Prophet  especially   treats   of;  for  he 


CHAP.  II.  10-12.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  95 

directly  inveighs  here  against  absurd  and  vicious  modes  of 
worship.  What  then  does  he  mean  by  saying,  that  God 
will  uncover  the  baseness  of  the  people  before  their  lovers  ? 
He  alludes  to  shameless  women,  who  dare,  by  terror,  to  check 
their  husbands,  that  they  may  not  exercise  their  own  right. 
"  What !  do  you  treat  me  ill  ?  there  is  one  who  will  resent 
this  conduct."  Even  when  husbands  indignantly  bear  their 
own  reproach,  they  often  attempt  not  to  assert  their  own 
right,  because  they  see  that  fear  is  in  the  way.  But  God 
says,  "  Nothing  will  hinder  me  from  chastising  thee  as  thou 
deservest  (for  he  addresses  the  people  under  the  character  of 
a  wife;)  before  thy  lovers  then  will  I  uncover  thy  baseness." 

And  no  man  shall  rescue  thee  from  my  hand.  The  word 
man  is  put  here  for  idols  ;  for  it  is  a  word  of  general  import 
among  the  Hebrews.  Sometimes  when  brute  animals  are 
spoken  of,  this  word,  man,  is  used ;  and  it  is  also  applied  to 
the  fragments  of  a  carcass.  For  when  Moses  describes  the 
sacrifice  made  by  Abraham,  '  Man,'  he  says,  '  was  laid  to  his 
fellow  ;'  that  is,  Abraham  joined  together  the  different  parts 
of  the  sacrifice,  as  we  say  in  French,  //  w'w  a  piece.  God 
then  speaks  here  of  idols  :  No  one,  he  says,  shall  rescue  them 
from  my  hand.  We  now  comprehend  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet. 

We  must,  at  the  same  time,  see  what  he  had  in  view.  The 
Israelites  indeed  thought,  that  as  long  as  their  corrupt  modes 
of  worship  prevailed,  they  were  safe  and  secure :  it  seemed 
impossible  to  them  that  any  adversity  should  happen  to  them 
while  idolatry  continued.  As,  then,  they  imagined  their  false 
gods  to  be  to  them  like  an  invincible  rampart,  "  Thy  idols," 
he  says,  "  shall  remain,  and  yet  thou  shalt  fall :  for  I  will  be- 
fore thy  lovers  uncover  thy  baseness,  and  not  one  of  them 
shall  dehver  thee  from  my  hand." 

The  Prophet  now  descends  to  particulars  ;  and,  in  the  first 
place,  he  says,  that  the  people  would  be  deprived  of  their  sa- 
crifices and  feast-days,  and  of  that  whole  external  pomp, 
which  was  with  them  the  guise  of  religion.  He  then  adds, 
that  they  would  be  spoiled  of  their  food,  and  all  their  abun- 
dance. He  has  hitherto  been  speaking  of  their  nakedness  ; 
but  he  now  describes  what  this  nakedness  Avould  be  :  and  he 


96  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VI. 

specially  mentions,  that  sacrifices  w^ould  cease,  that  feast- 
days,  new-moons,  and  whatever  belonged  to  external  wor- 
ship, would  cease.  /  will  make  to  cease,  he  says,  all  her  joy. 
He  speaks,  doubtless,  of  sacred  joys ;  and  this  may  be  easily 
collected  from  the  context.  He  adds,  her  every  festal-day. 
As  they  were  wont  to  dance  on  their  festal-days,  this  word 
may  be  referred  to  that  practice.  He  afterwards  adds,  her 
sahhath,  and  all  feast-days.  Then '  the  first  kind  of  naked- 
ness was,  that  God  would  take  away  from  the  Israelites  that 
fallacious  and  empty  form  of  religion  in  which  they  foolishly 
delighted.  The  second  kind  of  nakedness  was,  that  they 
were  to  be  stripped  of  all  earthly  riches,  and  be  reduced  to 
misery  and  extreme  want.     But  I  cannot  finish  to-day. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as  we  are  so  dull  and  sloth- 
ful, that  though  often  admonished,  we  yet  consider  not  our  sins, 
yea,  though  chastised  by  thy  hand,  we  yet  return  not  imme- 
diately to  a  right  mind, — O  grant,  that  we  may  hereafter  profit 
more  under  thy  rod,  and  not  be  refractory  and  untractable  ;  but 
as  soon  as  thou  raisest  thy  hand,  may  each  of  us  mourn,  know 
our  own  evils,  and  then,  with  one  consent,  surrender  ourselves 
to  be  ruled  by  thee ;  and  may  we,  in  the  meantime,  patiently 
and  calmly  endure  thy  chastisements,  and  never  mm-mm-  against 
thee,  but  ever  aspire  to  the  attainment  of  true  repentance,  \va.- 
til,  having  at  length  put  off  all  the  vices  and  corruptions  of  our 
flesh,  we  attain  to  the  fulness  of  righteousness,  and  to  that  true 
and  blessed  glory  which  has  been  prepared  for  us  in  heaven  by 
Jesus  Chj-ist.     Amen. 


nocture  %\xi\i. 

We  began  yesterday  to  explain  the  verse  in  which  the 
Lord  speaks  of  the  intermission  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  the 
new-moon,  and  of  external  worship.  The  people  of  Israel, 
as  we  have  stated,  were  to  be  deprived  of  these  excellent 
gifts  with  which  they  had  been  favoured.  And  God,  we 
know,  is,  in  two  respects,  bountiful  to  men.  There  is  his 
common  bounty  as  to  food,  and  other  earthly  benefits :  but 
he  is  especially  bountiful  to  his  people  in  those  gifts  which 


CHAP.  II.  10-12.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  97 

are  called  supernatural.  Hence  the  Prophet  says  in  the  first 
place,  /  ivill  make  to  cease  the  sahhath,  and  the  neio-moon,  and 
the  festal-days.  They  indeed  thought  themselves  blessed 
■when  they  celebrated  the  festal-days,  when  they  offered  sa- 
crifices, and  in  a  word,  Avhen  the  external  pomp  of  God's 
worship  shone  forth  among  them  :  yet  we  know  that  they 
worshipped  God  neither  in  a  lawfid  place  nor  in  a  right  man- 
ner, as  he  had  commanded  in  the  law;  for  they  mingled 
many  superstitions  ;  nay,  the  whole  of  religion  among  them 
was  polluted ;  and  yet  they  thought  that  their  worship 
pleased  God.  We  now  see  that  the  object  of  their  punishment 
was  this, — that  the  people  of  Israel  might  now  cease  to  feli- 
citate themselves  on  account  of  their  external  form  of  relioion, 
when  deprived  of  their  temple,  and  sacrifices,  and  all  outward 
worship :  and  all  this  happened  when  the  Israelites  were 
driven  away  into  exile.  We  indeed  know  that  they  did  not 
leave  off  their  superstitions  until  they  were  deprived  of  their 
country  and  driven  into  banishment. 

I  now  come  to  the  second  kind  of  nakedness  :  the  Prophet 
says,  /  loill  icaste  or  destroy  her  vine  and  her  Jig-tree,  of  which 
she  has  said,  Reivard  are  these  to  me ;  that  is.  These  things  are 
wages  to  me,  ivhich  my  lovers  have  given  to  me :  and  I  will 
make  them  a  forest,  and  feed  on  them  shall  the  beast  of  the  f  eld. 
The  second  part  of  the  spoiling,  as  we  have  said,  is,  that  the 
Israelites  would  be  reduced  to  miserable  want,  who,  before, 
had  not  only  great  abundance  of  good  things,  but  also  luxury, 
as  Ave  shall  hereafter  see  more  fully  in  other  passages.  As 
then  they  were  swollen  Avith  pride  on  account  of  their  pros- 
perity, the  Prophet  now  announces  their  future  nakedness, 
/  will  take  away,  he  says,  the  vine  and  the  fig-tree.  It  is  a 
mode  of  speaking  by  which  a  part  is  to  be  taken  for  the 
whole;  for  under  the  vine  and  the  fig-tree  the  Prophet  in- 
tended to  comprehend  every  variety  of  temporal  blessings. 
Whatever  then  belongs  to  man's  support,  the  Prophet  here 
includes  in  these  two  Avords :  and  he  repeats  Avhat  he  had 
said  before,  that  the  Israelites  falsely  thought,  that  it  was  a 
reward  paid  them  for  their  superstitions,  while  they  worshiji- 
ped  false  gods. 

She  said,  These  are  my  reward.  The  word  is  derived  from 
VOL.  I.  G 


98  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PIIOPHETS.  LECT.  VI. 

the  verb  rUD  tene :  some  have  rendered  it  gift,  but  not  rightly, 
I  indeed  allow  that  liH^j  natemi,  which  means  to  give,  follows 
shortly  after ;  from  which  some  derive  this  word.  But  we 
know  that  in  many  parts  of  ScrijDture  n^HK?  atne,  is  strictly 
taken  for  reward  ;  and  is  sometimes  applied  to  hired  soldiers  : 
but  the  Prophets  often  use  this  word  when  they  speak  of 
harlots.  Hence  the  Prophet  here  introduces  the  people  of 
Israel  under  the  character  of  a  harlot ;  These  are  my  reheard, 
or.  These  things  are  my  reioard,  ivhich  to  me  have  my  lovers 
given. 

Since  then  the  Israelites  had  so  hardened  themselves  in 
their  superstitions,  that  this  false  persuasion  could  not  be 
driven  out  of  them,  until  they  w^ere  deprived  of  all  their  bless- 
ings, he  announces  to  them  this  punishment, — that  God  would 
take  away  whatever  they  thought  had  come  to  them  from 
their  idols  or  false  gods  :  1  loill  turn,  he  says,  all  these  into  a 
forest,  that  is,  "  I  will  reduce  to  a  waste,  both  the  vineyards 
and  all  the  well  cultivated  parts  ;  so  that  they  will  produce 
nothing,  as  is  usually  the  case  with  desert  places."  We  now 
understand  the  whole  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  Let  us  pro- 
ceed— 

13.  And  I  will  visit  upon  her  13.   Et  visitabo  super  earn    dies 

the  days  of  Baalim,  wherein  she  Baalim,  qnibus  incensum  (vel.,  suffl- 

burued  incense  to  them,  and  she  turn)  illis  obtulit  (vel^  adolevit  illis,) 

decked  herself  with  her  ear-rings  et  ornata  fait  inam-e  sua  et  monili 

and  her  jewels,  and  she  went  after  (reZ,  torque)  suo,  et  profecta  est  post 

her  lovers,  and  forgat  me,  saith  aniatores    suos,    et    mci  oblita  est, 

the  Lord.  dixit  Dominus. 

He  confirms  what  he  taught  last.  We  have  said  before, 
that  this  admonition  is  very  necessary,  that  whenever  God 
deals  severely  with  men,  he  thus  visits  their  sins,  and  inflicts 
a  just  punishment.  For  though  men  may  consider  them- 
selves to  be  chastised  by  the  Lord,  they  yet  do  not  tho- 
roughly search  and  examine  themselves  as  they  ought. 
Hence  the  Prophet  repeats  what  we  have  before  met  with, 
and  that  is,  that  this  chastisement  w^ould  be  just ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  he  shows  us  as  by  the  finger  what  chiefly  displeased 
God  in  the  Israelites,  which  was,  that  religion  was  corrupted 
by  them :  for  there  is  nothing  more  necessary  to  be  known, 
than  that  in  order  that  men  may  ever  habituate  themselves 


CHAP.  ir.  13.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  99 

to  worship  God  in  a  pure  manner,  this  should  be  testified  to 
them,  that  all  superstitions  are  such  an  abomination  to  God 
that  he  cannot  bear  them. 

He  therefore  says,  /  loill  visit  upon  her  the  days  of  Baalim ; 
that  is,  when  the  Israelites  shall  find  themselves  to  be  with- 
out a  temple,  deprived  of  sacrifices  and  new-moons,  and  hav- 
ing no  more  any  external  form  of  worship,  let  them  know 
that  they  are  thus  punished,  because  they  worshipped  Baalim 
instead  of  the  only  true  God.  The  Prophet,  at  the  same 
time,  alludes  again  to  harlots,  who  more  finely  adorn  them- 
selves and  with  greater  care,  when  they  look  for  their  lovers, 
that  they  may  captivate  them  with  their  charms.  She  decked 
herself,  he  says,  loith  her  ear-ring  and  her  jeivel.  This  the 
superstitious  usually  do,  when  they  celebrate  their  feast-days ; 
for  they  think  that  a  great  part  of  holiness  consists  in  the 
splendour  of  vestments  ;  and  we  see  that  this  stupidity  pre- 
vails at  this  day  among  those  under  the  Papacy  :  for  they 
would  think  themselves  to  be  doing  great  dishonour  to  God, 
or  rather  to  their  idols,  were  they  not  to  adorn  themselves 
when  going  to  perform  sacred  duties.  This,  no  doubt,  was 
then  a  common  error  and  custom.  But  in  order  to  show 
more  clearly  that  God  abominated  such  gross  superstitions, 
the  Prophet  says  that  they  were  like  harlots.  For  as  a 
strumpet,  in  order  to  allure  men,  paints  herself,  and  also 
dresses  splendidly,  puts  on  her  ornaments,  and  decks  herself 
with  jewels  and  gold ;  even  so,  he  Ifeays,  the  Israelites  did ; 
they  played  the  wanton,  and  bore  the  tokens  of  their  lewd- 
ness. This  then  is  the  allusion,  when  the  Prophet  says,  that 
she  decked  herself  ivith  jewels  and  an  ear-ring,  and  went  after 
her  lovers. 

But  most  grievous  is  what  he  adds  at  the  end  of  the  verse. 
Me,  he  says,  has  she  forgotten.  God  here  complains  that  the 
fellowship  of  marriage  availed  nothing  :  though  he  had  lived 
with  the  people  a  long  time,  and  treated  them  bountifully 
and  kindly,  yet  the  memory  of  this  was  buried.  Me,  he  says, 
Jias  she  forgotten.  There  is  then  here  an  implied  comparison 
between  the  Israelites  whom  God  had  joined  to  himself^  and 
other  nations  who  had  known  nothing  of  true  religion,  nor 
understood  who  the  true  God  was.      It  was  indeed  no  won- 


100  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VI. 

der  for  tlie  Gentiles  to  be  deceived  by  the  impostures  of 
Satan  :  but  it  was  a  monstrous  ingratitude  for  the  Israehtes, 
who  had  been  rightly  taught  and  long  habituated  to  the  pure 
worship  of  God,  to  cast  away  the  recollection  of  him.  It 
was  like  the  bestial  depravity  of  a  wife,  who,  having  for  a 
time  lived  with  her  husband,  and  having  been  kindly  treated 
by  him,  afterwards  prostitutes  herself  to  adidterers,  and  no 
more  cherishes  or  retains  in  her  heart  any  love  for  her  hus- 
band. We  now  see  for  what  end  it  was  added,  that  the 
Israelites  had  forgotten  God.  It  was  indeed  a  grave  and 
severe  reproof  to  say,  that  they,  after  having  long  worshipped 
the  true  God,  had  been  led  away  into  such  madness  as  to 
worship  false  gods,  the  figments  of  their  own  brains :  for  they 
had  before  learnt  who  the  true  and  the  only  God  was. 

The  Prophet,  in  a  word,  confirms  in  this  verse  (as  I  have 
before  reminded  you)  the  truth,  that  the  punishment  which 
God  was  about  to  inflict  on  this  ungodly  people  would  not 
only  be  just,  but  also  necessary  ;  and  he  proves  at  the  same 
time,  how  basely  they  had  violated  their  marriage-vow,  since 
the  recollection  of  God  did  not  prevail  among  them,  after 
they  had  become  the  followers  of  idols,  and  of  the  figments 
of  their  own  hearts.     Let  us  now  go  on — ■ 

14,  Therefore,  beliold,        14.  Propterea  ecce  ego  inclino  illam  (vel^ 

I    will    allure   her,    and  persuadeo  illi :  dicemus  posiea  de  hoc  verbo) 

bring  her  into  the  wilder-  et  proficisci  cam  faciam  (hoc  est,  deducam- 

ness,  and  speak  comfort-  «am)  in  desertum,  et  loquar  super  cor  ejus 

ably  unto  her.  (hoc  est,  loquar  quod  gi-atum  est.) 

Here  the  Lord  more  clearly  expresses,  that  after  having 
long,  and  in  various  ways,  afilicted  the  people,  he  would  at 
length  be  propitious  to  them ;  and  not  only  so,  but  that  he 
would  also  make  all  their  punishments  to  be  conducive  to 
their  salvation^  and  to  be  medicines  to  heal  their  diseases. 
But  there  is  an  inversion  in  the  words.  Behold,  I  will  incline 
her,  and  I  will  make  her  to  go  into  the  tcilderness ;  and  so  they 
ought  to  be  explained  thus,  "  Behold,  I  will  incHne  her,  or, 
persuade  her,  after  I  shall  have  drawn  her  into  the  desert ; 
then,  /  %cill  speak  to  her  hearth  T\T\^^  pete,  is  often  taken  in  a 
bad  sense,  to  deceive,  or,  to  persuade  by  falsehood,  or,  to  use 
a  vulgar  word,  to  wheedle :  but  it  means  in  this  place,  to 


CHAP.  II.  14.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  101 

speak  kindly ;  so  that  God  persuades  a  rebellious  and  obsti- 
nate people  as  to  what  is  right :  and  then  he  declares  that 
this  would  take  place,  when  he  led  the  people  into  the  wil- 
derness. This  is  connected  with  the  former  sentence,  where 
it  is  said,  '  I  will  set  her  as  on  the  day  of  her  nativity  :'  for 
God  alludes  to  the  first  redemption  of  the  people,  wdiich  was 
like  their  birth ;  for  it  was  the  same  as  though  the  people 
had  emerged  from  their  grave  ;  they  obtained  a  new  life  when 
they  were  freed  from  the  tyranny  of  Egypt.  God  therefore 
begot  them  a  people  for  himself. 

But  the  Prophet  adds,  After  having  led  her  into  the  wil- 
derness, /  will  incline  her ;  that  is,  render  her  pliable  to  my- 
self. He  intimates  by  these  words,  that  there  would  be  no 
hope  of  repentance  until  the  people  were  led  to  extreme 
evils ;  for  had  their  punishment  been  moderate,  their  per- 
verseness  would  not  have  been  corrected.  Then  God  shows 
in  this  verse,  that  there  would  be  no  end  or  lessening  of  evils 
until  the  people  Avere  drawn  into  the  wilderness,  that  is,  until 
they  were  deprived  of  their  country  and  sacrifices,  and  all 
their  wealth  ;  yea,  until  they  were  deprived  of  their  ordinary 
food,  and  cast  into  a  wilderness  and  solitude,  where  the  want 
of  all  things  would  press  upon  them,  and  extreme  necessity 
would  threaten  them  with  death.  If  then  the  people  had 
been  visited  with  light  punishment,  nothing  would  have  been 
effected ;  for  their  hardness  was  greater  than  could  have  been 
softened  by  slight  or  common  remedies. 

But  this  declaration  was  full  of  great  comfort.  The  faith- 
ful might  have  otherwise  wholly  desponded,  when  they  found 
themselves  led  into  exile,  and  the  sight  of  the  land,  which 
was,  as  it  were,  the  mirror  of  the  divine  adoption,  was  taken 
from  them,  when  they  saw  themselves  scattered  into  various 
parts,  and  that  there  was  now  no  community,  no  seed  of 
Abraham.  The  Lord,  therefore,  that  despair  might  not 
swallow  up  the  faithful,  intended  in  this  way  to  ease  their 
sorrow ;  assuring  them,  that  though  they  were  drawn  again 
into  the  wilderness,  God,  who  first  redeemed  them,  was  still 
the  same,  and  endued  with  the  same  strength  and  power 
which  he  put  forth  in  behalf  of  their  fathers.  We  now  ap- 
prehend the  design  of  the   Prophet.     Calamity  might  have 


102  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VI, 

shaken  their  hearts  with  so  much  terror,  as  to  take  away 
every  confidence  in  God's  favour,  and  make  them  to  think 
themselves  Avholly  lost :  but  God  sets  the  desert  before  them, 
"  "What !  have  I  not  once  drawn  you  out  of  the  desert  ?  Has 
my  power  diminished  since  that  time  ?  I  indeed  continue  to 
be  the  same  God  as  your  fathers  found  me  to  be  :  I  will 
again  draw  you  out  of  the  wilderness."  But  at  the  same 
time,  God  reminded  them  that  their  diseases  would  be  un- 
healable,  until  they  were  led  into  the  wilderness,  until  they 
were  deprived  of  their  country,  and  all  the  tokens  of  his  fa- 
vour, that  they  might  no  more  delude  themselves  with  vain 
confidence. 

He  therefore  says.  After  I  shall  draw  her  into  the  ivilderness, 
then  I  icill  persuade,  or,  turn  her.  I  prefer  the  word,  turning 
or  inclining,  though  the  word,  persuading,  is  by  no  means 
unsuitable.  But  there  seems  to  be  an  implied  comparison 
between  the  present  contumacy  of  the  people,  and  the  obe- 
dience they  would  render  to  their  God  after  having  been 
subdued  by  various  afflictions.  "  The  people,"  he  says,  "  will 
be  then  pliable,  when  they  shall  be  drawn  into  the  wilder- 
ness." 

And  I  will  speak  then  to  her  heart.  What  is  the  import  of 
this  expression  we  know  from  Isa.  xl.  To  speak  to  the  heart 
is  to  bring  comfort,  to  soothe  grief  by  a  kind  word,  to  oiFer 
kindness,  and  to  hold  forth  some  hope,  that  he  who  had  pre- 
viously been  worn  out  with  sorrow  may  breathe  freely, 
gather  courage,  and  entertain  hope  of  a  better  condition. 
And  this  kind  of  speaking  ought  to  be  carefully  observed  ; 
for  God  means,  that  there  was  now  no  place  for  his  promises, 
because  the  Israelites  were  so  refractory.  Paul  did  not  say  in 
vain  to  the  Corinthians,  '  Open  ye  my  mouth, ^  O  Corinthi- 
ans ;  for  I  am  not  narrow  towards  you ;  but  ye  are  narrow  in 
your  own  bov/els,'  (2  Cor.  vi.  11, 12.)  The  Corinthians,  when 
alienated  from  Paul,  had  obstructed,  as  it  were,  the  passage 


1  As  there  is  no  different  reading  that  favours  this  view  of  the  text,  it 
is  difficult  to  know  how  Calvin  came  to  give  this  paraphrase,  as  it  is  the 
reverse  of  the  meaning  of  the  passage.  It  is  literally  rendered  in  our 
version,  "  Our  moutli  is  opened  unto  you."  Though  the  text  is  not  cor- 
rectly given,  yet  what  is  here  taught  is  true  and  important. — Ed. 


CHAP.  H.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  103 

of  his  doctrine,  that  he  could  not  address  them  in  a  paternal 
manner.  So  also  in  this  place,  the  Lord  testifies  that  the 
door  was  closed  against  his  promises ;  for  if  he  gave  to  the 
Israelites  the  hope  of  pardon,  it  would  have  been  slighted ; 
if  he  had  invited  them  kindly  to  himself,  they  would  have  scorn- 
fully refused,  yea,  spurned  the  offer  with  contempt,  so  great 
was  their  ferocity ;  if  he  had  wished  to  be  reconciled  to  them, 
they  would  have  despised  him,  or  refused,  or  proceeded  in 
abusing  his  kindness  as  before.  He  then  shows,  that  it  was 
their  fault  that  he  could  not  deal  kindly  and  friendly  with 
them.  Hence,  After  1  shall  draw  her  into  the  wilderness,  I 
will  address  her  heart. 

Let  us  then  know,  that  whenever  we  are  deprived  of  the  sense 
of  God's  fevour,  the  way  has  been  closed  up  through  our  fault ; 
for  God  would  ever  be  disposed  willingly  to  show  kindness,  ex- 
cept our  contumacy  and  hardness  stood  in  the  way.  But  when 
he  sees  us  so  subdued  as  to  be  pliable  and  ready  to  obey,  then 
he  is  ready,  in  his  turn,  to  speak  to  our  heart ;  that  is,  he  is 
ready  to  show  himself  just  as  he  is,  full  of  grace  and  kindness. 

We  hence  see  how  well  the  context  of  the  Prophet  har- 
monises. There  are,  in  short,  two  parts, —  the  first  is,  that 
God  takes  not  away  wholly  the  hope  of  pardon  from  the 
Israelites,  provided  there  were  any  healable  among  them,  but 
shows  that  though  the  chastisement  would  be  severe,  it  would 
yet  be  useful,  as  it  would  appear  from  its  fruit ;  this  is  one 
clause ; — and  the  other  is,  that  they  might  not  be  too  hasty 
in  inquiring  why  God  would  not  sooner  mitigate  his  severity, 
he  answers,  that  the  time  was  not  as  yet  ripe  ;  for  they  would 
not  be  capable  of  receiving  his  kindness,  until  they  Avere  by 
degrees  subdued  and  humbled  by  heavier  punishment.  Let 
us  now  proceed — 


15.  And  I  will  give  her  her  15.  Et  dabo  ei  vineas  suas  illinc 

vineyards  from  thence,  and  the  (ab  co  loco)  ct  vallem  Achor  in  apcr- 

valley  of  Achor  for  a  door  of  tionem  (vel^  januani)  spei :  et  canet 

hope  :  and  she  shall  sing  there  as  illic  sicuti  diebus   adolesccntia3   (veJ, 

in  the  days  of  her  youth,  and  as  pueritia^)   sua;,   et  sicut  in  die  quo 

in  the  day  when  she  came  up  out  ascendit  e  terra  iEgypti. 
of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

The  Prophet  now  plainly  declares,  that  God's  favour  would 
be  evident,  not  only  by  words,  but  also  by  the  cftccts  and  by 


104  THE  T"U^LVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.     LECT.  VI. 

experience,  when  the  people  were  bent  to  obedience.     The 
Prophet  said  in  the  last  verse,   '  I  will  speak  to  her  heart ;' 
now  he  adds,  '  I  will  bring  a  sure  and  clear  evidence  of  my 
favour,  that  they  may  feel  assured  that  I  am  reconciled  to 
them.'     He  therefore  says,  that  he  would  give  them  vines. 
He  said  before,  '  I  will  destroy  her  vines  and  fig-trees  ;'  but 
now  he  mentions  only  vineyards  :  but  as  we  have  said,   the 
Prophet,  under  one  kind,  comprehends  all  other  things  ;  and 
he  has  chosen  vines,  because  in  vines  the  bounty  of  God 
especially  appears.     For  bread  is  necessary  to  support  life ; 
wine  abounds,  and  to  it  is  ascribed  the  property  of  exhilarat- 
ing the  heart,  Psal.  civ.  :  '  Bread  strengthens,'  or,  '  supports 
man's  heart;  wine  gladdens  man's  heart.'      As  then  vines 
are  usually  planted  not  only  for  necessary  purposes,  but  also 
for  a  more  bountiful  supply,  the  Prophet  says,  that  the  Lord, 
when  reconciled  to  the  people,  will  give  them  their  vineyards 
from  that  place. 

A7id  Iivill  give,  he  says,  the  valley  ofAclior,  ^"c.    He  alludes 
to  their  situation  in  the  wilderness  :  as  soon  as  the  Israelites 
came  out  of  the  wilderness,  they  entered  the  plain  of  Achor, 
which  w^as  fruitful,  pleasant,  and  vine-bearing.     Some  think 
that  the  Prophet  alludes  to  the  punishment  inflicted  on  the 
people  for  the  sacrilege  of  Achan,  but  in  my  judgment  they 
are  mistaken ;  for  the  Prophet  here  means  nothing  else  than 
that  there  would  be  a  sudden  change  in  the  condition  of  the 
people,  such  as  happened  when  they  came  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness.    For  in  the  wilderness  there  was  not  even  a  grain  of 
wheat  or  of  barley,  nor  a  bunch  of  grapes  ;  in  short,  there 
was  in  the  wilderness  nothing  but  penury,  accompanied  with 
thousand  deaths  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  people  came  out,  they 
descended  into  the  plain  of  Achor,  which  was  most  pleasant, 
and  very  fertile.    The  Prophet  meant  simply  this,  that  when 
the  people  repented,  there  would  be  no  delay  on  God's  part, 
but  that  he  would  free  them  from  all  evils,  and   restore  a 
blessed  abundance  of  all  things,  as  was  the  case,  when  the 
people  formerly  descended   into  the  plain  of  Achor.     He 
therefore  brings  to  the  recollection  of  the  Israelites  what  had 
happened  to  their  fathers.  Her  vines,  then,  ivill  I  (jive  her  from 
that  place,  that  is,  "  As  soon  as  I  shall  by  word  testify  my 


CHAP.  II.  15.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  105 

love  to  them,  they  shall  eiFectiially  know  and  find  that  I  am 
really  and  from  the  heart  reconciled  to  them,  and  shall  un- 
derstand how  inclined  I  am  to  show  kindness  ;  for  I  shall 
not  long  hold  the  people  in  suspense." 

And  he  adds,  For  an  opening,  or  a  door  of  hope.  He  signifies 
here,  that  their  restoration  would  be  as  from  death  into  life. 
For  though  the  people  daily  saw  with  their  eyes  that  God 
took  care  of  their  life,  for  he  rained  manna  from  heaven  and 
made  water  to  flow  from  a  rock ;  yet  there  was  at  the  same 
time  before  their  eyes  the  appearance  of  death.     As  long, 
then,  as  they  sojourned  in  the  wilderness,  God  did  ever  set 
before  them  the  terrors  of  death  :  in  short,  their  dwelling  in 
the  wilderness,  as  we  have  said,  was  their  grave.     But  when 
the  people   descended  into  the  plain  of  Achor,  they  then 
began  to  draw  vital  air;  and  they  felt  also  that  they  at 
length  lived,  for  they  had  obtained  their  wishes  :  they  had 
now  indeed  come  in  sight  of  the  inheritance  promised  to 
them.     As  then  the  valley  of  Achor  was  the  beginning,  and 
as  it  were  the  door  of  good  hope  to  their  fathers,  so  the 
Prophet,  now  alluding  to  that  redemption,  says,  that  God 
would  immediately  deal  with  so  much  kindness  with  the 
Israelites  as  to  open  for  them  a  door  of  hope  and  salvation, 
as  he  had  done  formerly  to  their  fathers  in  the  valley  of 
Achor. 

And  she  shall  sing  there.     We  may  easily  learn  from  the 
context  that  those  interpreters  mistake  who  refinedly  philo- 
sophise about  the  valley  of  Achor.    It  is  indeed  true  that 
the  root  of  the  word  is  the  verb  "1^^,  ocar,  which  means,  to 
confound  or  to  destroy,  and  that  this  name  was  given  to  the 
place   on    account  of  what  had  occurred    there  :    but   the 
Prophet  referred  to  no  such  thing,  as  it  appears  clearly  from 
the  second  clause  ;  for  he  says.  She  shall  sing  there  as  in  the 
days  of  her  youth,  and  as  in  the  day  in  which  she  ascended 
from  the  land  of  Egypt.     For  then  at  length  the  people  of 
God  openly  celebrated  his  praises,  Avhen  they  beheld  with 
their  eyes  the  promised  land,  when  they  saw  an  end  to  God's 
severe  vengeance,  which  continued  for  forty  years.     Hence 
the  people  then  poured  forth   their   hearts    and   employed 
their  tongues  in  praises  to  God.     The  Prophet,   therefore, 


106  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VI. 

teaches  here,  that  their  restoration  woukl  be  such,  that  the 
people  would  really  sing  praises  to  God  and  offer  him  no 
ordinary  thanks ;  not  as  they  are  wont  to  do  who  are  re- 
lieved from  a  common  evil,  but  as  those  who  have  been 
brought  from  death  into  life.  She  shall  sing  then  as  in  the 
days  of  her  childhood,  as  in  that  day  when  she  ascended  from 
the  land  of  Eyypt. 

Thus  we  see  that  a  hope  of  deliverance  is  here  given,  that 
the  faithful  might  sustain  their  minds  in  exile,  and  cherish 
the  hope  of  future  favour ;  that  though  the  face  of  God 
would  for  a  time  be  turned  away  from  them,  they  might  yet 
look  for  a  future  deliverance,  nor  doubt  but  that  God  would 
be  propitious  to  them,  after  they  had  endured  just  punish- 
ment, and  had  been  thus  reformed  :  for  as  we  have  said,  a 
moderate  chastisement  could  not  have  been  sufficient  to  sub- 
due their  perverseness.     It  follows — 

16.  And  it  shall  be  at  16.  Et    erit    in    die    illo,    dicit  Jehova, 

that  day,  saith  the  Lord,  vocabis  me,  virmeus,  (ue/,  inarite  mi,)  et  non 

that  thou    shalt  call  me  vocabis  me  amplius  Baal  mens,  {alii  vertunt, 

Ishi,  and  shalt  call  me  no  non  vocabis  me  amplius,  Dominus  mens ;  sed 

more  Baali.  retlnendum  est  nomen  Baal,  sicuti  mox  dicam.) 

The  Prophet  now  expands  his  subject,  and  shows  that 
when  the  people  repented,  the  fruits  of  repentance  would 
openly  appear.  One  fruit  he  records,  and  that  is,  that  they 
would  then  begin  to  worship  God  pvirely,  all  superstitions 
being  abolished.  It  shall  be,  he  says,  in  that  day  that  thou 
shalt  call  me,  My  husband ;  and  he  mentions  the  word,  husband, 
to  show  to  the  people,  that  after  having  been  corrected,  they 
would  be  mindful  of  the  covenant  which  God  had  made  with 
them ;  and  in  that  covenant,  as  stated  before,  there  was  the 
condition  of  a  mutual  engagement. 

We  hence  see  what  the  Prophet  means  :  he  tells  us  that 
the  people  would  then  be  no  more  given  to  superstitions  as 
before,  but  on  the  contrary  would  be  mindful  of  God's  cove- 
nant, and  would  continue  sincere  and  true  to  their  conjugal 
vow.  Hence,  thou  shalt  call  me,  My  husband;  that  is, 
"  Thou  shalt  know  what  I  am  to  thee,  that  I  am  joined  to 
thee  by  a  sacred  and  inviolable  marriage."     Arid  thou  shalt 


CHAP.  II.  17.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  107 

not  call  me,  My  Baal ;  that  is,  "  Thou  shalt  not  give  me  a 

false  and  heathenish  name  :"  for  the  word,  Baal,  as  I  have 

said  before,  Avas  everywhere  in  eveiy  one's  mouth.     But  the 

next  verse  must  be  added — 

17.  For  I  will  take  away  the  17.  Et  auferam  nomina  Baalim 

names  of  Baalim  out  of  her  mouth,  ex   ore  ejus,  et  non  recordabitur 

and  they  shall  no  more  be  remem-  amplius  uominis  ipsorum  (Baalim 

bered  by  their  name.  scilicet.) 

In  this  verse  the  Prophet  more  clearly  unfolds  what  he 
said  before,  that  there  would  be  a  new  mind  in  the  people,  so 
that  they  would  worship  God  purely,  though  they  were  before 
entangled  in  their  superstitions.  The  meaning  then  is,  that 
religion  will  then  return  to  its  true  state,  for  the  names  of 
Baalim  shall  cease.  We  have  already  stated  whence  this 
name  had  arisen.  Not  even  the  heathens  wished  to  thrust 
the  only  true  God  from  his  celestial  throne,  by  forming  for 
themselves  many  gods  :  but  while  they  allowed  some  Supreme 
Being,  they  wished  to  have  patrons,  whom  they  employed  in 
conciliating  his  favour  and  good-will.  That  this  was  for  the 
most  part  the  common  doctrine,  may  be  easily  learnt  from 
Plato  :  and  the  Jews  also,  no  doubt,  thought  of  becoming 
wise  by  following  the  common  judgment  of  others  ;  they 
hence  had  their  Baalim.  But  though  they  called  their 
patrons  Baalim,  they  yet  gave  this  name  to  God  :  "  Let  us 
worship  Baalim."  The  Papists  do  the  same ;  when  they 
enter  their  temples,  they  immediately  turn  to  the  image  of 
Mary  or  of  some  saint,  and  dare  not  come  to  God.  At  the 
same  time  they  worship  God,  that  is,  pretend  to  worship 
God,  and  they  call  superstition  God's  worship.  So  it  was 
among  the  Israelites  ;  though  the  majesty  of  the  Supreme 
God  was  not  denied,  yet  that  happened  which  the  Papists 
also  say,  "  That  Christ  is  not  distinguished  from  his  Apos- 
tles ;"  all  things  were  with  them  mixed  together  and  confused. 
He  therefore  says,  /  loill  take  aioay  Baalim  from  her  mouth, 
and  she  luill  no  more  remember  the  name  of  Baalim ;  which 
means,  "They  will  be  content  with  the  profession  of  pure 
faith,  and  will  celebrate  the  name  of  the  only  true  God ;  they 
will  no  more  mix  their  own  glosses  Avith  the  doctrine  of  the 
law,  and  thus  vitiate  the  pure  and  holy  worship  of  God." 
We  now  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 


108  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VI. 

Now  we  learn  from  this  place,  that  the  Church  cannot  be 
rightly  reformed  except  it  be  trained  to  obedience  by  the 
frequent  scourges  of  God  ;  for  the  Lord  thereby  creates  a 
new  people  for  himself.  We  see  at  this  day  what  great  stu- 
pidity possesses  their  minds,  who  have  not  been  well  pre- 
pared for  the  worship  of  God.  They  indeed  laugh  at  the 
superstitions  of  the  Papacy ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  they  are 
a  sort  of  Cyclops  :^  we  see  that  there  is  nothing  but  bar- 
barous ignorance  in  their  hearts.  The  Prophet  then  says, 
not  in  vain,  that  the  state  of  religion  would  then  be  right, 
when  the  Lord  had  wholly  subdued  his  people.  Hence  in 
that  daij,  which  refers  to  tlie  heavy  punishment  which  God 
would  inflict  on  the  Israelites — In  that  day,  then,  saith  the 
Lord,  thou  icilt  no  more  call  me,  Baal ;  hut  thou  wilt  call  me, 
Husband.  How  so  ?  Because  /  loill  take  away  the  names  of 
Baalim  from  thy  mouth  ;  that  is,  I  will  make  the  people  to 
cast  away  their  own  devices,  and  to  be  content  with  the  pure 
doctrine  of  my  law. 

We  ought  also  to  remember  that  a  confession  of  faith  is 
here  commended  by  the  Prophet.  It  is  no  doubt  the  fruit  of 
true  penitence,  when  we  testify  by  the  mouth  and  tongue 
that  the  only  true  God  is  our  God,  and  when  we  ai'e  not 
ashamed  to  confess  his  name  before  the  world,  though  it 
may  rage  madly  against  us. 

We  are  further  reminded  by  these  words,  that  too  much 
diligence  and  care  cannot  be  taken  to  cleanse  ourselves 
wholly  from  all  sorts  of  pollutions  ;  for  as  long  as  any  relics 
of  superstition  continue  among  us,  they  will  ever  entangle 
us,  and  thus  we  shall  stumble,  or,  at  least,  not  run  so  briskly 
as  we  ought.  Since,  then,  whatever  men  retain  of  their  own 
corrupt  devices,  is  a  hinderance  to  them  in  obtaining  a  direct 
access  to  God,  it  is  meet  for  us  to  labour  that  the  names  of 
Baalim  should  cease,  and  be  abolished  among  us  ;  and  for 
this  end, — that  nothing  may  hinder  and  retard  us  in  the  true 
worship  of  God.     Now  follows — 

^  Fabled  giants  Tvith  one  ej-e.  Those  referred  to  had  an  eye  to  see  the 
absurdities  of  Popery  ;  but  they  had  no  eye  to  see  the  beauty  and  glory 
of  the  Gospel. — Ed. 


CHAP.  II.  18.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  109 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  set  up  against  thee  so  many 
obstacles  through  the  dein-avity  of  our  flesh  and  natm-al  dispo- 
sition, that  we  seem  as  it  were  to  be  designedly  striving  to  close 
up  the  door  against  thy  goodness  and  paternal  favour, — O 
grant,  that  our  hearts  may  be  so  softened  by  thy  Spiiit,  and  the 
hardness  which  has  hitherto  pi-evailcd  may  be  so  corrected, 
that  wemay  submit  ourselves  to  thee  with  genuine  docility,  esp'e- 
cially  as  thou  dost  so  kindly  and  tenderly  invite  us  to  thyself, 
that  being  allured  by  thy  sweet  invitation,  we  may  run,  and  so 
run  as  not  to  be  weary  in  our  course,  until  Christ  shall  at  length 
bring  us  together  to  thee,  and,  at  the  same  time,  lead  us  to  thee 
for  that  eternal  life,  which  he  has  obtained  for  us  by  his  own 
blood.    Amen, 


18.  And  in  that  day  will  I  make  a        18.  Et  percutiam  illis  foedus  iu 

covenant  for  them  with  the  beasts  of  die  ilia  cum  bestia  agri  et  cum 

the  field,  and  with  the  fowls  of  hea-  volucre  cceli  et  cum  reptili  terra; : 

ven,  and  with  the  creeping  things  of  et  arcum  et  gladium  et  proelium 

the  gi-ound  :  and  I  will  break  the  bow,  confringam  e  terra  et  quiescere 

and  the  sword,  and  the  battle  out  of  eos  faciam  ad  fiduciam,  (Jtoc  est, 

the  earth,  and  will  make  them  lie  confideuter.) 
down  safely. 

The  Prophet  shows  here  that  the  people  would  be  in  every 
way  happy  after  their  return  to  God's  favour :  and,  at  the 
same  time,  he  reminds  us  that  the  cause  of  all  evils  is,  that 
men  provoke  God's  wrath.  Hence,  when  God  is  angry,  all 
things  must  necessarily  be  adverse  to  us  ;  for  as  God  has  all 
creatures  at  his  will,  and  in  his  hand,  he  can  arm  them  in 
vengeance  against  us  whenever  he  pleases  :  but  when  he  is 
propitious  to  us,  he  can  make  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth 
to  be  conducive  to  our  safety.  As  then  he  often  threatens 
in  the  Law,  that  when  he  purposed  to  punish  the  people,  he 
would  make  brute  animals,  and  the  birds  of  heaven,  and  all 
kinds  of  reptiles,  to  execute  his  judgment ;  so  in  this  place 
he  declares  that  there  would  be  peace  to  men  when  he  re- 
ceived them  into  favour. 

/  will  make  a  covenant,  he  says,  in  that  day  with  the  beast  of 
the  field.  We  know  what  is  said  in  another  place,  '  If  thou 
shuttest  thyself  up  at  home,  a  serpent  shall  there  bite  thee ; 


110  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

but  if  thou  goest  out  of  thy  house,  either  a  bear  or  a  lion 
shall  meet  thee  in  the  way/  (Amos  v.  19  ;)  by  which  words 
God  shows  that  we  cannot  escape  his  vengeance  when  he  is 
angry  with  us  ;  for  he  will  arm  against  us  lions  and  bears  as 
well  as  serpents,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  But  he  says 
here,  '  I  will  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  beasts  ;'  so 
that  they  may  perform  their  duty  towards  us  :  for  they  were 
all  created,  we  know,  for  this  end, — to  be  subject  to  men. 
Since,  then,  they  were  destined  for  our  benefit,  they  ought, 
according  to  their  nature,  to  be  in  subjection  to  us  :  and  we 
know  that  Adam  caused  this, — that  wild  beasts  rise  up  so 
rebelliously  against  us ;  for  otherwise  they  would  have  will- 
ingly and  gently  obeyed  us.  Now  since  there  is  this  horrible 
disorder,  that  brute  beasts,  which  ought  to  own  men  as  their 
masters,  rage  against  them,  the  Lord  recalls  us  here  to  the 
first  order  of  nature,  I  will  make  a  covenant  for  them,  he  says, 
ivith  the  beast  of  the  field,  which  means,  "  I  will  make  brute 
animals  to  know  for  what  end  they  were  formed,  that  is,  to 
be  subject  to  the  dominion  of  men,  and  to  show  no  rebellious- 
ness any  more." 

We  now  then  perceive  the  intention  of  the  Prophet :  he 
reminds  the  Israelites  that  all  things  were  adverse  to  their 
safety  as  long  as  they  were  alienated  from  God  ;  but  that 
when  they  returned  into  favour  with  him,  this  disorder,  which 
had  for  a  time  appeared,  w^ould  be  no  longer  ;  for  the  regular 
order  of  nature  would  prevail,  and  brute  animals  would  suflPer 
themselves  to  be  brought  to  obedience.  This  is  the  covenant 
of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks,  when  he  says,  /  ivill  make 
a  covenant  for  them,  that  is,  in  their  name,  ivith  the  beast  of  the 
field,  and  with  the  bird  of  heaven,  and  with  the  reptile  of  the 
earth. 

It  follows,  I  will  shatter  the  bow,  and  the  sword,  and  the  battle, 
that  is,  every  warlike  instrument ;  for  under  the  word  n^H/ttj 
mehcheme,  the  Prophet  includes  every  thing  adapted  for  war. 
Hence,  /  icill  shatter  every  kind  of  weapons  in  that  day,  and 
make  them  dwell  securely.  In  the  last  clause  he  expresses  the 
end  for  which  the  weapons  and  swords  were  to  be  shattered, 
— that  the   Israelites,  before   disquieted  by   various   fears, 


CHAP.  II.  19,  20.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  Ill 


might  dwell  In  peace,  and  no  more  fear  any  danger.     This  is 
the  meaning. 

But  it  is  meet  for  us  to  call  to  mind  what  we  have  before 
said,  that  the  Prophet  so  speaks  of  the  people's  restoration, 
that  he  extends  his  predictions  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  as 
we  may  learn  from  Paul's  testimony  already  cited.  We  then 
see  that  God's  favour,  of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks,  is 
not  restricted  to  a  short  time  or  to  a  few  years,  but  extends 
to  Christ's  kingdom,  and  is  what  we  have  in  common  with  the 
ancient  people.  Let  us  therefore  know,  that  if  we  provoke 
not  God  against  us  by  our  sins,  all  things  will  be  subservient 
to  the  promotion  of  our  safety,  and  that  it  is  our  fault  when 
creatures  do  not  render  us  obedience :  for  when  we  mutiny 
ao-alnst  God,  it  is  no  wonder  that  brute  animals  should  be- 
come  ferocious  and  rage  against  us  ;  for  what  peace  can  there 
be,  when  we  carry  on  war  against  God  himself?  Plence 
were  men,  as  they  ought,  to  submit  to  God's  authority,  there 
would  be  no  rebelliousness  in  brute  animals  ;  nay,  all  who 
are  turbulent  would  gently  rest  under  the  protection  of  God. 
But  as  we  are  insolent  against  God,  he  justly  punishes  us  by 
stirring  up  against  us  various  contentions  and  various  tumults. 
Hence,  then,  swords,  hence  bows,  are  prepared  against  us, 
and  hence  wars  are  stirred  up  against  us  :  all  this  is,  because 
we  continue  to  fight  against  God. 

It  must,  at  the  same  time,  be  further  noticed,  that  it  is  a 
singular  benefit  for  a  people  to  dwell  in  security ;  for  we 
know  that  though  we  may  possess  all  other  things,  yet 
miserable  is  our  condition,  unless  we  live  in  peace  :  hence 
the  Prophet  mentions  this  as  the  summit  of  a  happy  life.  It 
now  follows — 

19.  And  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  19.  Et  clesponsabo  te  mihi  in 
me  for  ever  ;  yea,  I  will  betroth  thee  perpetuum,  et  desponsabo  te  mihi 
unto  me  in  righteousness,  and  in  in  justicia,  et  in  judicio,  et  in  cle- 
judgment,  and  in  loving-kindness,  and  nientia,  (I'e/,  bouitatc,)  et  in  uiisc- 
in  mercies.  ricordiis. 

20.  I  will  even  betroth  thee  imto  20.  Et  desponsabo  te  mihi  in 
me  in  faithfulness :  and  thou  shalt  fide,  {vel^  veritate  :)  et  cognosces 
know  the  Lord.  Jehovam. 

The  Prophet  here  again  makes  known  the  manner  in  which 
God  would  receive  into  favour  his  people.     As  though  the 


112  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

people  had  not  violated  the  marriage  vow,  God  promises  to 
be  to  them  like  a  bridegroom,  who  marries  a  virgin,  young 
and  pure.  We  have  before  spoken  of  the  people's  defection  ; 
but  as  God  had  repudiated  them,  it  was  no  common  favour 
for  the  people  to  be  received  again  by  God,  and  received 
with  pardon.  When  a  woman  returns  to  her  husband,  it  is 
a  great  thing  in  the  husband  to  forgive  her,  and  not  to 
upbraid  her  with  her  former  base  conduct :  but  God  goes  far- 
ther than  this ;  for  he  espouses  to  himself  a  people  infamous 
through  many  disgraceful  acts ;  and  having  abolished  their 
sins,  he  contracts,  as  it  were,  a  new  marriage,  and  joins  them 
again  to  himself.  Hence  he  says,  /  will  espouse  thee  to  me.  We 
now  perceive  the  import  of  the  word,  espouse :  for  God 
thereby  means,  that  he  would  not  remember  the  unfaithful- 
ness for  which  he  had  before  cast  away  his  people,  but  would 
blot  out  all  their  infamy.  It  was  indeed  an  honourable 
reception  into  favour,  when  God  oiFered  a  new  marriage,  as 
though  the  people  had  not  been  like  an  adulterous  woman. 

And  he  says,  I  zvill  espouse  thee  to  me  for  ever.  There  is 
here  an  implied  contrast  between  the  marriage  of  which  the 
Prophet  had  hitherto  spoken,  and  this  which  God  now  con- 
tracts. For  God,  having  redeemed  the  people,  had  before 
entered,  as  we  have  said,  into  marriage  with  them  :  but  the 
people  had  departed  from  their  vow ;  hence  followed  aliena- 
tion and  divorce.  That  marriage  was  then  not  only  tem- 
porary, but  also  weak  and  soon  broken  ;  for  the  people  did  not 
continue  long  in  obedience  :  but  of  this  new  marriage  the 
Prophet  declares,  that  it  will  continue  fast  and  for  ever ;  and 
thus  he  sets  its  durable  state  in  contrast  with  the  falling 
away  which  had  soon  alienated  the  people  from  God.  Hence 
he  says,  I  icill  espouse  thee  to  me  for  ever. 

He  then  declares  by  w^hat  means  he  would  do  this,  even  in 
righteousness  and  judgment,  and  then  in  kindness  and 
mercies,  and  thirdly,  in  faithfulness.  God  had  indeed  from 
the  beginning  covenanted  with  the  Israelites  in  righteous- 
ness and  judgment ;  there  was  nothing  disguised  or  false  in 
his  covenant :  as  then  God  had  in  sincerity  adopted  the 
people,  to  what  vices  does  he  oppose  righteousness  and  judg- 
ment ?    I  answer.  These  words  must  be  applied  to  both  the 


CHAP.  II.  19,  20.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  113 

contracting  parties :  then,  by  righteousness  God  means  not 
only  his  own,  but  that  also  which  is,  as  they  say,  mutual  and 
reciprocal ;  and  by  righteousness  and  judgment  is  meant  recti- 
tude, in  which  nothing  is  wanting.  We  now  then  perceive 
what  the  Prophet  had  in  view. 

But  he  adds,  secondly,  In  kindness  and  mercies :  by  which 
words  he  intimates,  that  though  the  people  were  unworthy, 
yet  this  would  be  no  impediment  in  their  way,  to  prevent 
them  to  return  into  ftivour  with  God  ;  for  in  this  reconciliation 
God  would  regard  his  own  goodness,  rather  than  the  merits 
of  his  people. 

In  the  third  place,  he  adds.  In  faithfulness :  and  this  con- 
firms what  we  have  before  briefly  referred  to, — the  fixed  and 
unchangeable  duration  of  this  marriage. 

The  words,  righteousness  and  judgment,  are,  I  know,  more 
refinedly  explained  by  some.  They  say  that  righteousness 
is  what  is  conferred  on  us  by  God  through  gratuitous  impu- 
tation ;  and  they  take  judgment  for  that  defence  which  he 
affords  against  the  violence  and  the  assaults  of  our  enemies. 
But  here  the  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  intimates  in  a  general 
way,  that  this  covenant  would  stand  firm,  because  there  would 
be  truth  and  rectitude  on  both  sides.  That  this  may  be  more 
clearly  understood,  let  us  take  a  passage  from  the  31st  chap- 
ter of  Jeremiah  ;  where  God  complains,  that  the  covenant 
he  had  made  with  the  ancient  people  had  not  been  firm ;  for 
they  had  forsaken  it.  '  My  covenant,'  he  says,  '  with  your 
fathers  has  not  continued.' — Why  ?  ^  Because  they  departed 
from  my  commandments.'  God  indeed  in  perfect  sincerity 
adopted  the  people,  and  no  righteousness  was  wanting  in  him  ; 
but  as  there  was  no  constancy  and  faithfulness  in  the  people, 
the  covenant  came  to  nothing  :  hence  God  afterwards  adds, 
'  I  will  hereafter  make  a  new  covenant  with  you  ;  for  I  will 
engrave  my  laws  on  your  hearts,'  &c.  We  now  then  see 
what  the  Prophet  means  by  righteousness  and  judgment,  even 
this,  that  God  would  cause  the  marriage  vow  to  be  kept  on 
both  sides ;  for  the  people,  restored  from  exile,  would  no 
more  violate  their  pledged  faith  nor  act  unfaithfully. 

But  we  must  notice  what  is  added.  In  goodness  and  mercies. 
And  this  part  Jeremiah  does  not  omit,  for  he  adds,  '  Their 
VOL.  I.  H 


114  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

iniquities  I  will  not  remember.'  As  then  the  Israelites,  con- 
scious of  evil,  might  tremble  through  fear,  the  Prophet  season- 
ably anticipates  their  diffidence,  by  promising  that  the  mar- 
riage which  God  was  prepared  anew  to  contract,  would  be  in 
kindness  and  mercies.  There  is  then  no  reason  why  their 
own  unworthiness  should  frighten  away  the  people ;  for  God 
here  unfolds  his  own  immense  goodness  and  unparalleled 
mercies.  The  Prophet  might  indeed  have  expressed  this  in 
one  word,  but  he  adds  mercies  to  goodness.  The  people  had 
indeed  sunk  into  a  deep  abyss,  that  restoration  could  have 
been  hardly  hoped  :  hence  the  word,  kindness,  or  goodness, 
would  have  been  hardly  sufficient  to  raise  up  their  minds,  had 
not  the  word,  mercies,  been  added  for  the  sake  of  confirmation. 

Now  he  adds,  in  faithfulness  ;  and  by  faithfulness  is  to  be 
understood,  I  doubt  not,  that  stability  of  which  I  have  spoken : 
for  what  some  philosophise  on  this  expression  is  too  refined, 
who  give  this  explanation,  '  I  will  espouse  thee  in  faith,'  that 
is,  by  the  gospel ;  for  we  embrace  God's  free  promises,  and 
thus  the  covenant  the  Lord  makes  with  us  is  ratified.  I 
simply  interpret  the  word  as  denoting  stability. 

And  the  Prophet  shows  afterwards  that  this  covenant  would 
be  confirmed,  because  faithfulness  would  be  reciprocal,  they 
shall  knoiv,  he  says,  Jehovah.  Jeremiah,  I  doubt  not,  borrowed 
from  this  place  what  is  written  in  the  31  st  chapter ;  for  there 
he  also  adds,  '  No  one  shall  hereafter  teach  his  neighbour,  for 
all,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  shall  know  me,  saith  Je- 
hovah.' Our  Prophet  says  here  in  one  sentence,  they  shall 
know  Jehovah.  Hence  then  is  the  stability  of  the  covenant, 
because  God  by  his  light  shall  guide  the  hearts  of  those  who 
had  before  strayed  in  darkness  and  w^andered  after  their  own 
superstitions.  Since  then  a  horrible  darkness  prevailed  among 
the  Israelitic  people,  Hosea  promises  the  light  of  true  know- 
ledge ;  and  this  knowledge  of  God  is  such,  that  the  people 
fall  not  away  from  the  Lord,  nor  are  they  seduced  by  the 
fallacies  of  Satan.  Hence  God's  covenant  stands  firm.  We 
now  understand  the  import  of  the  words. 

Jerome  thinks  that  the  Prophet  promises  espousals  thrice, 
because  the  Lord  once  espoused  the  people  to  liimselfin 
Abraham,  then  when  he  led  them  out  of  Egypt,  and,  thirdly, 


CHAP.  II.  19,  20.   COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  115 

when  once  he  reconciled  the  whole  world  in  Christ :  but  this  is 
too  refined,  and  even  frivolous.  I  take  a  simpler  meaning, — 
that  the  Prophet  proclaims  an  espousal  thrice,  because  it  was 
difficult  to  restore  the  people  from  fear  and  despair,  for  they 
well  understood  how  grievously  and  in  how  many  ways  they 
had  alienated  themselves  from  God :  it  was  hence  necessary 
to  apply  many  consolations,  which  might  serve  to  confirm 
their  faith.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Lord  does  not  say 
once,  /  toill  espouse  thee  to  myself,  but  repeats  it  thrice.  The 
Prophet  indeed  seemed  then  to  speak  of  a  thing  incredible  : 
for  what  sort  of  an  example  is  this,  that  the  Lord  should  take 
for  his  wife  an  abominable  harlot  ?  Nay,  that  he  should  con- 
tract a  new  marriage  with  an  unclean  adulteress,  immersed 
in  debauchery  ?  This  was  like  something  monstrous.  Hence 
the  Prophet,  that  nothing  might  hinder  souls  from  recumbing 
on  the  promise,  says,  "  Doubt  not,  for  the  Lord  very  often 
assures  you,  that  this  is  certain." 

Now,  since  we  have  this  promise  in  common  with  them, 
we  see  by  the  words  of  the  Prophet  what  is  the  beginning  of 
our  salvation  :  God  espoused  the  Israelites  to  himself,  when 
restored  from  exile  through  his  goodness  and  mercies.  "W  hat 
fellowship  have  we  with  God,  when  we  are  born  and  come  out 
of  the  womb,  except  he  graciously  adopts  us  ?  for  we  bring 
nothing,  we  know,  with  us  but  a  curse  :  this  is  the  heritage 
of  all  mankind.  Since  it  is  so,  all  our  salvation  must  neces- 
sarily have  its  foundation  in  the  goodness  and  mercies  of 
God.  But  there  is  also  another  reason  in  our  case,  when 
God  receives  us  into  favour  ;  for  we  were  covenant-breakers 
under  the  Papacy  ;  there  was  not  one  of  us  who  had  not  de- 
parted from  the  pledge  of  his  baptism  ;  and  so  we  could  not 
have  returned  into  favour  with  God,  except  he  had  freely 
united  us  to  himself:  and  God  not  only  forgave  us,  but 
contracted  also  a  new  marriage  with  us,  so  that  we  can  now, 
as  on  the  day  of  our  youth,  as  it  has  been  previously  said, 
openly  give  thanks  to  him. 

But  we  must  notice  this  short  clause,  They  shall  knoic  Je- 
hovah. We  indeed  see  that  we  are  in  confusion  as  soon  as 
we  turn  aside  from  the  right  and  pure  knowledge  of  God, 
nay,  that  we  are  wholly  lost.  Since  then  our  salvation  con- 
sists in  the  light  of  faith,  our  minds  ought  ever  to  be  directed 


116  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

to  God,  that  our  union  with  him,  which  he  hath  formed  by 
the  gospel,  may  abide  firm  and  permanent.  But  as  this  is 
not  in  the  power  or  will  of  man,  we  draw  this  evident  con- 
clusion, that  God  not  only  offers  his  grace  in  the  outward 
preaching,  but  at  the  same  time  in  the  renewing  of  our 
hearts.  Except  God  then  recreates  us  a  new  people  to  him- 
self, there  is  no  more  stability  in  the  covenant  he  makes  now 
with  us  than  in  the  old  which  he  made  formerly  with  the 
fathers  under  the  Law  ;  for  when  we  compare  ourselves  with 
the  Israelites,  we  find  that  we  are  nothing  better.  It  is, 
therefore,  necessary  that  God  should  work  inwardly  and 
eflficaciously  on  our  hearts,  that  his  covenant  may  stand  firm  : 
nay,  since  the  knowledge  of  him  is  the  special  gift  of  the 
Spirit,  we  may  with  certainty  conclude,  that  what  is  said 
here  refers  not  only  to  outward  preaching,  but  that  the  grace 
of  the  Spirit  is  also  joined,  by  which  God  renews  us  after  his 
own  image,  as  we  have  already  proved  from  a  passage  in 
Jeremiah :  but  that  we  may  not  seem  to  borrow  from 
another  place,  we  may  say  that  it  appears  evident  fi'om  the 
words  of  the  Prophet,  that  there  is  no  other  bond  of  stability, 
by  which  the  covenant  of  God  can  be  strengthened  and  pre- 
served, but  the  knowledge  he  conveys  to  us  of  himself;  and 
this  he  conveys  not  only  by  outward  teaching,  but  also  by 
the  illumination  of  our  minds  by  his  Spirit,  yea,  by  the  re- 
newing of  our  hearts.     It  follows — 

21.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  21.  Et  erit  in  die  ilia,  ex- 
I  will  hear,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  hear  the  audiam,dicitDominus,  exau- 
heavens,  and  they  shall  hear  the  earth  ;        diam  ccelos,  etaudient  ten-am : 

22.  And  the  earth  shall  hear  the  corn,  22.  Et  terra  exaudiet  fru- 
and  the  wine,  and  the  oil;  and  they  shall  mentum  et  mustum  et  oleum, 
hear  Jezreel.  et  ipsa  exaudient  Jezreel. 

The  Lord  promises  again  that  he  will  not  be  wanting  to 
the  people,  when  they  shall  be  reconciled  to  him.  We  must, 
indeed,  in  the  first  place,  seek  that  God  may  be  propitious  to 
us  ;  for  they  are  very  foolish  who  desire  to  live  well  and  hap- 
pily, and  in  the  meantime  care  nothing  for  God's  favour.  The 
Prophet  shows  when  the  happiness  of  men  begins  ;  it  begins 
when  God  adopts  them  for  his  people,  and  when,  having  abo- 
lished their  sins,  he  espouses  them  to  himself.  It  is  there- 
fore necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to  seek  this ;  for  as  we  have 


CHAP.  II.  21,  22.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  117 

said,  the  desire  of  being  happy  is  preposterous,  when  we  first 
seek  the  blessings  of  an  earthly  life,  when  we  first  seek  ease, 
abundance  of  good  things,  health  of  body,  and  similar  things. 
Hence  the  Prophet  now  shows,  that  we  are  then  only  happy 
when  the  Lord  is  reconciled  to  us,  and  not  only  so,  but  when 
he  in  his  love  embraces  us,  and  contracts  a  holy  marriage 
with  us,  and  on  this  condition,  that  he  will  be  a  father  and 
preserver  to  us,  and  that  we  shall  be  safe  and  secure  under 
his  protection  and  defence. 

But  at  the  same  time  he  comes  down  to  things  of  the 
second  rank.  Our  happiness  is,  indeed,  as  we  have  said,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  God's  love ;  but  there  are  accessions  which 
afterwards  follow ;  for  the  Lord  provides  for  us,  and  exer- 
cises a  care  over  us,  so  that  he  supplies  whatever  is  needful 
for  the  support  of  life.  Of  this  later  part  the  Prophet  now 
treats  :  he  says.  In  that  clay.  We  see  that  he  reminds  us  of 
the  covenant,  lest  we  be  content  with  worldly  abundance  ; 
for  as  it  has  been  said,  men  are  commonly  devoted  to  their 
present  advantages.  Hence  the  Prophet  sets  here  before 
our  eyes  the  Lord's  covenant;  he  afterwards  adds,  that 
God's  favour  would  reach  to  the  corn,  and  to  the  wine,  and 
the  oil. 

But  we  must  notice  the  Prophet's  words,  /  loill  hear,  he 
says,  or  I  will  answej^,  (ri^J??  one,  means  to  answer,  but  it  is 
here  equivalent  to  hear,)  1  icill  hear  then,  /  will  hear  the 
heavens,  and  they  will  hear  the  earth.  The  repetition  is  not 
superfluous ;  for  the  Israelites  had  been  for  some  time  con- 
sumed by  famine,  before  they  were  led  away  into  exile  ;  as 
though  the  heavens  were  iron,  no  drop  of  rain  came  down. 
They  might  hence  have  thought  that  there  was  noAV  no  hope  ; 
but  God  here  raises  them  up,  /  will  hear,  Iicill  hear,  he  says  ; 
as  though  he  said,  "  There  is  no  reason  for  the  miserable  con- 
dition in  which  I  have  suflfered  you  long  to  languish  as  your 
sins  deserved,  to  discourage  you ;  for  I  will  hereafter  hear 
the  heavens."  As  the  Prophet  before  reminded  them  that 
when  the  beasts  were  cruel  to  them,  it  was  a  token  of  God's 
wrath ;  so  also  he  teaches  by  these  words  that  the  heavens 
are  not  diy  through  any  hidden  influence  ;  but  that  Avhen 
God  withholds  his  favour,  there  is  no  rain  by  which  the 
heavens  irrigate  the  earth.     Then  God  here  plainly  shows 


118  THE  TAVELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

that  the  whole  order  of  nature,  as  they  say,  is  in  his  hand, 
that  no  drop  of  rain  descends  from  heaven  except  by  his  bid- 
ding, (suo  nuhi, — by  his  nod,)  nor  can  the  earth  produce  any 
grass ;  in  short,  that  all  nature  would  be  barren  were  he  not 
to  fructify  it  by  his  blessing.  And  this  is  the  reason  why  he 
says,  /  will  hear  the  heavens,  and  they  ivill  hear  the  earth,  and 
the  eai'th  will  hear  the  corn,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil,  and  all 
these  will  hear  Jezreel. 

The  Prophet  used  the  word,  Jezreel,  before  in  a  bad  sense ; 
for  his  purpose  was  to  reproach  the  Israelites  with  their  un- 
faithfulness :  when  they  boasted  of  being  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham, and  always  claimed  that  honourable  and  noble  distinc- 
tion, the  Lord  said,  '  Ye  are  Jezreel,  and  not  Israel.'  It  may 
be  that  the  Prophet  wished  to  show  again  what  they 
deserved  ;  but  he  teaches,  at  the  same  time,  that  God  would 
by  no  means  be  prevented  from  showing  kindness  to  the 
unworthy  when  reconciled  to  him.  Though,  then,  they  were 
rather  Jezreelites  than  Israelites,  yet  their  unworthiness 
would  be  no  impediment,  that  God  should  not  deal  bounti- 
fully with  them.  There  may  also  be  an  allusion  here  to  a 
new  people ;  for  it  follows  in  the  next  verse,  rT^Hy^lTlj 
usuj'otie,  and  I  will  sow  her ;  and  the  word,  Jezreel,  has  an 
affinity  to  this  verb,  it  is  indeed  derived  from  ^^],  sa,ro,  which 
is  to  sow  :  and  as  the  Prophet  presently  adds,  that  Jezreel 
is,  as  it  were,  the  seed  of  God,  I  do  not  disapprove  of  this 
supposed  allusion.  But  yet  the  Prophet  seems  here  to  com- 
mend the  grace  of  God,  when  he  declares  that  they  were 
Jezreelites  with  whom  God  would  deal  so  kindly  as  to  fruc- 
tify the  earth  for  their  sake. 

Let  us  now  again  repeat  the  substance  of  the  whole,  The 
corn,  and  the  ivine,  and  the  oil,  will  hear  Jezreel.  The  Israelites 
were  famished,  and  as  it  is  usual  with  those  in  want  of  food, 
they  cried  out,  '  Who  will  give  us  bread,  and  wine,  and  oil?' 
For  the  stomach,  as  it  is  said,  has  no  ears ;  nor  has  it  reason 
and  judgment :  when  there  is  extreme  want,  men,  as  if  they 
were  distracted,  will  call  for  bread,  and  wine,  and  oil.  God 
then  has  regard  for  these  blind  instincts  of  men,  which  only 
crave  what  Avill  gratify  them :  hence  he  says,  The  corn,  and 
loine,  and  oil,  icill  hear  Jezreel, — but  when  ?  Even  when  the 
earth  will  supply  trees  with  sap  and  moisture,  and  extend  to 


CHAP.  II.  23.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  119 


the  seed  its  strength  ;  it  is  then  that  the  earth  will  hear  the 
com,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil :  for  these  grow  not  of  them- 
selves, but  derive  supplies  from  the  earth ;  and  hence  the 
earth  is  said  to  hear  them.  But  cannot  the  earth  of  itself  hear 
the  corn,  or  the  wine,  or  the  oil  ?  By  no  means,  except  rain 
descends  from  heaven.  Since,  then,  the  earth  itself  draws 
moisture  and  wetness  from  heaven,  we  see  that  men  in  vain 
cry  out  in  famine,  except  they  look  up  to  heaven :  and 
heaven  is  niled  by  the  will  of  God.  Let  men,  therefore, 
learn  to  ascend  up  to  God,  that  they  may  seek  from  him 
their  daily  bread. 

"We  now,  then,  see  how  suitable  is  this  gradation  em- 
ployed by  the  Prophet,  by  which  God,  on  account  of  the 
rude  and  weak  comprehension  of  men,  leads  them  up  at  last 
to  himself.  For  they  turn  their  thoughts  to  bread,  and  wane, 
and  oil ;  from  these  they  seek  food  :  they  are  in  this  matter 
very  stupid.  Be  it  so  ;  God  is  indulgent  to  their  simplicity 
and  ignorance ;  for  by  degrees  he  proceeds  from  corn,  and 
wine,  and  oil,  to  the  earth,  and  then  from  the  earth  to  heaven  ; 
and  he  afterwards  shows  that  heaven  cannot  pour  down  rain 
except  at  his  will.     It  follows  at  last — 


23.  And  I  will  sow  her  unto  me        23.  Et  seminabo  earn  mihi  in  ter- 

in  the  earth  ;    and    I   will   have  ra  (vel^  in  terram)  et  miserabor  ejus 

mercy  upon  her  that  had  not  ob-  quae  non  erat  adapta  misericordiam, 

tained  mercy,   and  I  will  say  to  „,  -,.  »*«,»»_.. cLL    /;         *  ^,„- 

them  which  were  not  my  people,  ^^  '^^^^"^'  ^^^K??'   (^^oc  est,  qm 

Thou  art  my   people  ;     and  they  ^^^  erat  populus  mens,)  Tu  popu- 

shall  say,  Thou  art  my  God.  ^^is  mens  :  etipse  dicet,  Deus  mi. 

The  Prophet  here  takes  the  occasion  to  speak  of  the  in- 
crease of  the  people.  He  had  promised  a  fruitful  and  large 
increase  of  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil ;  but  for  what  end  would 
this  be,  except  the  land  had  numerous  inhabitants  ?  It  was 
hence  needful  to  make  this  addition.  Besides,  the  Prophet 
had  said  before,  '  Though  ye  be  immense  in  number,  yet  a 
remnant  only  shall  be  preserved.'  He  now  sets  God's  new 
favour  in  opposition  to  his  vengeance,  and  says,  that  God 
will  again  sow  the  people. 

From  this  sentence  we  learn  that  the  allusion  in  the  word, 
Jezreel,  has  not  been  improperly  noticed  by  some,  that  is, 
that  they,  who  had  been  before  a  degenerate  people  and  not 


120  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VII. 

true  Israelites,  shall  then  be  the  seed  of  God  :  yet  the  words 
admit  of  two  senses  ;  for  y^T,  saiv,  applies  to  the  earth  as  well 
as  to  seed.  The  Hebrews  say,  'The  earth  is  sown,'  and 
also,  '  The  wheat  is  sown,'  or  any  other  grain.  If  then  the 
Prophet  compares  the  people  to  the  earth,  the  sense  will  be, 
I  will  sow  the  people  as  I  do  the  earth ;  that  is,  I  will  make 
them  fi'uitful  as  the  earth  when  it  is  productive.  It  must 
then  be  thus  rendered,  '  I  will  sow  her  for  me  as  the  earth,' 
that  is,  as  though  she  were  my  earth.  Or  it  may  be  rendered 
thus,  I  loill  sow  her  for  myself  in  the  earth,  and  for  this  end, 
that  the  earth,  which  Avas  for  a  time  waste  and  desolate, 
might  have  many  inhabitants,  as  we  know  was  the  case. 
But  the  relative  pronoun  in  the  feminine  gender  ought  not 
to  embarrass  us,  for  the  Prophet  ever  speaks  as  of  a  woman : 
the  people,  we  know,  have  been  as  yet  described  to  us  under 
the  person  of  a  woman. 

And  he  afterwards  adds,  M/^ni^TN??  La-ruch2ime.  He 
speaks  here  either  of  La-ruchama,  an  adulterous  daughter,  or 
an  adulterous  woman,  whom  a  husband  takes  to  himself.  As 
to  the  matter  itself,  it  is  easy  to  learn  what  the  Prophet 
means,  which  is,  that  God  would  diffuse  an  offspring  far  and 
wide,  when  the  people  had  been  brought  not  only  to  a  small 
number,  but  almost  to  nothing  :  for  how  little  short  of  entire 
ruin  was  the  desolation  of  the  people  when  scattered  into 
banishment?  They  were  then,  as  it  has  been  stated,  like  a 
body  torn  asunder :  the  land  in  the  meantime  enjoyed  its 
Sabbaths  ;  God  had  disburdened  it  of  its  inhabitants. 

We  then  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet  to  be, 
that  God  would  multiply  the  people,  that  the  small  remnant 
would  increase  to  a  great  and  almost  innumerable  offspring. 
/  icill  then  sow  her  in  the  earth,  that  is,  throughout  the  whole 
land ;  and  I  will  have  mercy  on  Lo-ruchama,  that  is,  I  will  in 
mercy  embrace  her,  who  had  not  obtained  mercy ;  andl  loill 
say  to  the  no-people.  Ye  are  now  my  jyeople.  We  see  that  the 
Prophet  insists  on  this, — That  the  people  would  not  only  seek 
the  outward  advantages  of  the  present  life,  but  would  make 
a  beginning  at  the  very  fountain,  by  regaining  the  favour  of 
God,  and  knowing  him  as  their  propitious  Father  :  for  this  is 
the  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  of  wliich  something  more  will  be 
said  to-morrow. 


CHAP.  II.  23.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  121 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  in  this  life  subject  to  so 
many  miseries,  and  in  the  meantime  grow  insensible  in  our 
sins, — O  grant  that  we  may  learn  to  search  ourselves  and  con- 
sider our  sins,  that  we  may  be  really  humbled  before  thee,  and 
ascribe  to  ourselves  the  blame  of  all  our  evils,  that  we  may 
be  thus  led  to  a  genuine  feeling  of  repentance,  and  so  strive  to 
be  reconciled  to  thee  in  Christ,  that  we  may  whoUy  depend  on 
thy  paternal  love,  and  thus  ever  aspire  to  thefuhiess  of  eternal 
felicity,  through  thy  goodness  and  that  immeasurable  liindness, 
which  thou  testifiest  is  ready  and  offered  to  all  those,  who  with 
a  sincere  heart  worship  thee,  call  upon  thee,  and  flee  to  thee, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


CHAPTER  HI. 


%(Ctvivc  ^iq^ffif). 

We  said  in  our  lecture  yesterday,  that  the  Prophet  does 
not  in  vain  bear  a  testimony  again  to  God's  paternal  favour 
to  his  people ;  for  it  is  our  chief  happiness,  when  God  ac- 
knowledges us  as  his  own,  and  when  we  also  can  come  to  his 
presence  with  sure  confidence.  Hence  the  order  of  the 
Prophet's  words  ought  to  be  noticed:  I  will  have  merc^,  he 
says,  on  Lo-ruchama ;  which  means,  I  will  be  propitious  to 
the  Israelites,  whom  I  have  hitherto  deprived  of  my  favour  : 
and  I  icill  say  to  the  no-people,  My  people  are  you :  then  it  fol- 
lows, and  they^  will  say  to  me,  Thou  art  our^  God. 

The  Prophet,  indeed,  means  that  God  anticipates  us  with 
his  favour;  for  we  are  otherwise  restrained  from  access  to  him. 
Then  God  of  his  own  good-will  precedes,  and  extends  his 
hand  to  us,  and  then  follows  the  consent  of  our  faith.  Hence 
God  first  speaks  to  the  Israelites,  that  they  might  know  that 
they  are  now  counted  his  people  :  and  then,  after  God  has 

^  The  original  is  '  he'  and  '  my,'  as  in  our  version,  but  this  is  to  disre- 
gard the  Hebrew  idiom.  Pronouns  in  that  language  referring  to 
'  people,'  a  noun  in  the  singular  number,  are  also  put  in  the  singular 
number,  but  not  so  in  our  language.  '  They'  and  '  our'  ought  doubtless 
to  be  used  here. — Ed. 


122  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VIII. 

testified  of  his  favour,  they  answer,  '  Thou  beginnest  now  to 
be  from  henceforth  our  God.'     We  hence  see  that  the  begin- 
ning of  all  good  is  from  God,  when  he  makes  of  aliens  friends, 
and  adopts  as  his  sons  those  who  were  before  his  enemies. 
The  third  chapter  follows. 

1.  Then  said  the  Lord  unto        1.  Et   dixit  Jehova  ad  me,   Adhiic 

me,  Go  yet,  love  a  woman  be-  vade,  ama  mulierem  dilectum  a  marito 

loved  of  her  friend,   yet   an  {ad  verbum,  a  proximo,  vel,  socio  :  sed 

adulteress,   according  to   the  intelligit  comparem)  et  quaj  adultera  est 

love  of  the  Lord  toward  the  (sed  copula  debet  resolvi  in  adversativam, 

children  of  Israel,  who  look  quaa  tameii  adultera  est,)  secundum  amo- 

to  other  gods,  and  love  flagons  rem  Jehovse  erga  filios  Israel :  et  ipsi  (hoc 

of  wine.  est,  qui  tamen)  respiciunt  ad  deos  alienos, 

et  amant  lagenas  (vel,  cados)  uvarum. 

The  substance  of  this  chapter  is,  That  it  was  God's  pur- 
pose to  keep  in  firm  hope  the  minds  of  the  faithful  during 
the  exile,  lest  being  overwhelmed  with  despair  they  should 
wholly  faint.  The  Prophet  had  before  spoken  of  God's  re- 
conciliation with  his  people ;  and  he  magnificently  extolled 
that  favour  when  he  said,  '  Ye  shall  be  as  in  the  valley  of 
Achor,  I  will  restore  to  you  the  abundance  of  all  blessings ;  in 
a  word,  ye  shall  be  in  all  respects  happy.'  But,  in  the  mean- 
time, the  daily  misery  of  the  people  continued.  God  had 
indeed  determined  to  remove  them  into  Babylon.  They 
might,  therefore,  have  despaired  under  that  calamity,  as 
though  every  hope  of  deliverance  were  wholly  taken  from 
them.  Hence  the  Prophet  now  shows  that  God  would  so 
restore  the  people  to  favour,  as  not  immediately  to  blot  out 
every  remembrance  of  his  wrath,  but  that  his  purpose  M'^as  to 
continue  for  a  time  some  measure  of  his  severity. 

We  hence  see  that  this  prediction  occupies  a  middle  place 
between  the  denunciation  the  Prophet  previously  pronounced 
and  the  promise  of  pardon.  It  was  a  dreadful  thing,  that 
God  should  divorce  his  people  and  cast  away  the  Israelites  as 
spurious  children  :  but  a  consolation  was  afterwards  added. 
But  lest  the  Israelites  should  think  that  God  would  immedi- 
ately, as  on  the  first  day,  be  so  propitious  to  them  as  to  visit 
them  with  no  chastisement,  it  was  the  Prophet's  design  ex- 
pressly to  correct  this  mistake,  as  though  he  said,  '  God  will 
indeed  receive  you  again,  but  in  the  meantime  a  chastisement 


CHAP.  III.  1.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  123 

is  prepared  for  yon,  which  by  its  intenseness  would  break 
down  your  spirits,  were  it  not  that  this  comfort  will  ease  you, 
and  that  is,  that  God,  though  he  punishes  you  for  your  sins, 
yet  continues  to  provide  for  your  salvation,  and  to  be  as  it 
were  your  husband.'  We  now  perceive  the  intention  of  the 
Prophet.  But  I  shall  first  run  over  the  words,  and  then  re- 
turn to  the  subject. 

Jehovah  said  to  me,  Go  yet,  and  love  a  woman.  There  is  no 
doubt  but  that  God  describes  here  the  favour  he  promises  to 
the  Israelites  in  a  type  or  vision :  for  they  are  too  gross  in 
their  notions,  who  think  that  the  Prophet  mai'ried  a  Avoman 
who  had  been  a  harlot.  It  was  then  only  a  vision,  as  though 
God  had  set  a  picture  befoi*e  the  eyes  of  the  people,  in  which 
they  might  see  their  own  conduct.  And  when  he  says,  yet, 
he  refers  to  the  vision,  mentioned  in  the  first  chapter.  But 
he  bids  a  woman  to  be  loved  before  he  took  her  to  be  the 
partner  of  his  conjugal  bed  ;  which  ought  to  be  noticed :  for 
God  intends  here  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  people's 
restoration  and  his  hidden  favour,  God  then,  before  he  re- 
stored the  people  jfrom  exile,  loved  them  as  it  were  in  their 
widowhood.  We  now  understand  why  the  Prophet  does  not 
Bay,  '  Take  to  thee  a  wife,'  but,  '  love  a  woman.'  The  mean- 
ing is  this  :  God  intimates,  that  though  exile  would  be  sad 
and  bitter,  yet  the  people,  whom  he  treated  with  sharpness 
and  severity,  were  still  dear  to  him.  Hence,  Love  a  woman^ 
who  had  heen  loved  hy  a  husband. 

The  word  yi,  ro,  is  here  to  be  taken  for  a  husband,  as  it 
is  in  the  2d  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  where  it  is  said,  '  Perfidi- 
ously have  the  children  of  Israel  dealt  with  me,  as  though  a 
woman  had  departed  from  her  husband,  nyiD?  weroe,'  or, 
*  from  her  partner.'  And  there  is  an  aggravation  of  the  crime 
implied  in  this  word  :  for  women,  when  they  prostitute  them- 
selves, often  complain  that  they  have  done  so  through  too 
much  severity,  because  they  were  not  treated  with  sufficient 
kindness  by  their  husbands ;  but  when  a  husband  behaves 
kindly  towards  his  wife,  and  performs  his  duty  as  a  husband, 
there  is  then  less  excuse  for  a  wife,  in  case  she  fixes  her 
affections  on  others.  To  increase  then  the  sin  of  the  people, 
this  circumstance  is  stated,  that  the  woman  had  been  loved 


124  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  VIIT. 

by  her  friend  or  partner,  and  yet  that  this  kindness  of  her 
husband  had  not  preserved  her  mind  in  chastity. 

He  afterwards  says,  According  to  the  love  of  Jehovah  towards 
the  children  of  Israel;  that  is.  As  God  loved  the  people  of 
Israel,  who  yet  ceased  not  to  look  to  other  gods.  This  meta- 
phor occurs  often  in  Scripture,  that  is,  when  the  verb  H^Sj 
p&ne,  which  means  in  Hebrew,  to  look  to,  is  used  to  express 
hope  or  desire :  so  that  when  men's  minds  are  intent  on  any 
thing,  or  their  affections  fixed  on  it,  they  are  said  to  look  to 
that.  Since  then  the  Israelites  boiled  with  insane  ardour  for 
their  superstitions,  they  are  said  to  look  to  other  gods. 

It  then  follows.  And  they  love  flagons  of  grapes.  The  Pro- 
phet, I  doubt  not,  compares  this  rage  to  drunkenness  :  and  he 
mentions  flagons  of  grapes  rather  than  of  wine,  because 
idolaters  are  like  drunkards,  who  sometimes  so  gorge  them- 
selves, that  they  have  no  longer  a  taste  for  wine ;  yea,  the 
very  smell  of  wine  offends  them,  and  produces  nausea  through 
excessive  drinking  ;  but  they  try  new  arts  by  which  they  may 
rearain  their  fondness  for  wine.  And  such  is  the  desire  of 
novelty  that  prevails  in  the  superstitious.  At  one  time  they 
go  after  this,  at  another  time  after  that,  and  their  minds  are 
continually  tossed  to  and  fro,  because  they  cannot  acquiesce 
in  the  only  true  God.  We  now  then  perceive  what  this 
metaphor  means,  when  the  Prophet  reproaches  the  Israelites, 
because  they  loved  flagons  of  grapes. 

I  now  return  to  what  the  Prophet,  or  rather  God,  had  in 
view.  God  here  comforts  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  that 
they  might  surely  conclude  that  they  were  loved,  even  when 
they  were  chastised.  It  was  indeed  necessary  that  this 
difference  should  have  been  well  impressed  on  the  Israelites, 
that  they  might  in  exile  entertain  hope  and  patiently  bear 
God's  chastisement,  and  also  that  this  hope  might  mitigate 
the  bitterness  of  sorrow.  God  therefore  says,  that  though  he 
shows  not  himself  as  yet  reconciled  to  them,  but  appears  as 
yet  severe,  at  the  same  time  he  is  not  w^ithout  love.  And 
hence  we  learn  how  useful  this  doctrine  is,  and  how  widely  it 
opens  ;  for  it  affords  a  consolation  of  which  we  all  in  common 
have  need.  When  God  humbles  us  by  adversities,  when  he 
shows  to  us  some  tokens  of  severity  or  wrath,  we  cannot  but 


CHAP.  Ill,  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  125 

instantly  fail,  were  not  this  thought  to  occur  to  us,  that  God 
loves  us,  even  when  he  is  severe  towards  us,  and  that  though 
he  seems  to  cast  us  away,  we  are  not  yet  altogether  aliens, 
for  he  retains  some  affection  even  in  the  midst  of  his  wrath ; 
so  that  he  is  to  us  as  a  husband,  though  he  admits  us  not 
immediately  into  conjugal  honour,  nor  restores  us  to  our 
former  rank.  We  now  then  see  how  the  doctrine  is  to  be 
applied  to  ourselves. 

We  must  at  the  same  time  notice  the  reproachful  conduct  of 
which  I  have  spoken, — That  though  the  woman  was  loved, 
yet  she  could  not  be  preserved  in  chastity,  and  that  she  was 
loved,  though  an  adulteress.  Here  is  pointed  out  the  most 
shameful  ingratitude  of  the  people,  and  contrasted  wuth  it  is 
God's  infinite  mercy  and  goodness.  It  was  the  summit  of 
wickedness  in  the  people  to  forsake  their  God,  when 
he  had  treated  them  with  so  much  benignity  and  kindness. 
But  wonderful  was  the  patience  of  God,  when  he  ceased 
not  to  love  a  people,  whom  he  had  found  to  be  so  perverse, 
that  they  could  not  be  turned  by  any  acts  of  kindness  nor 
retained  by  any  favours. 

With  regard  to  the  flagons  of  grapes  we  may  observe,  that 
this  strange  disposition  is  ever  dominant  in  the  superstitious, 
and  that  is,  that  they  wander  here  and  there  after  their  own 
devices,  and  have  nothing  fixed  in  them.  Lest,  then,  such 
charms  deceive  us,  let  us  learn  to  cleave  firmly  and  constant- 
ly to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  Indeed  the  Papists  of  this  day 
boast  of  their  ancientness,  when  they  would  create  an  ill-will 
towards  us ;  as  though  the  religion  we  follow  were  new  and 
lately  invented  :  but  we  see  how  modern  their  supersti- 
tions are;  for  a  passion  for  them  bubbles  up  continually,  and 
they  have  nothing  that  remains  constant :  and  no  wonder, 
because  the  eternal  truth  of  God  is  regarded  by  them  as  of 
no  value.  If,  then,  we  desire  to  restrain  this  depraved  lust, 
which  the  Prophet  condemns  in  the  Israelites,  let  us  so  ad- 
here to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  no  novelty  may  captivate 
us  and  lead  us  astray.     It  now  follows — 

2.  So  I  bouglit  her  to  me  for  2.  Et  acquisivi  earn  mihi  quindecim 

fifteen  pieces  of  silver,  and  for  argenteis  et  uno  homer  (vertunt,  corum, 

an  homer  of  barley,    and  an  Grceci  interpi-etes ;  uno  coro)  hordei  et 

half-homer  of  barley :  dimidio  coro  hordei. 


126  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  VIIT. 

3.  And  I  said  unto  her,  Thou  3.  Et  dixi  ad  earn,  Diebus  multis  se- 
shalt  abide  for  me  many  days ;  debis  mihi,  non  scortaberis  et  non  eris 
thou  shalt  not  play  the  harlot,  viro  (Jioc  est,  manebis  vidua  vel  coelebs) 
and  thou  shalt  not  be  for  an-  et  ego  etiam  ad  te  (nempe,  respiciam  ; 
othe)-  man ;  so  will  I  also  be  for  vel,  tibi  spoudeo  me  fore  maritum,  ubi 
thee.  expertus  fuero  tuam  resipiscentiam :  alii 

vertunt,  Et  ego  ad  te  non  accedam  ;  sed 
videtur  hoc  esse  nimis  coactum:  ideo  magis 
arridet  Hieronymi  interpietatio,  Ego  te 
expectabo.) 

4.  For  the  children  of  Israel  4.  Quia  diebus  multis  sedebunt  filii 
shall  abide  many  days  without  Israel  sine  rege,  et  sine  principe,  et  sine 
a  king,  and  without  a  prince,  sacrificio,  et  sine  statua,  et  sine  ephod,  et 
and  without  a  sacrifice,  and    sine  theraphim. 

without  an  image,  and  without 
an  ephod,  and  without  tera- 
phim. 

5.  Afterward  shall  the  child-  5.  Postea  convertentur  {oel,  redibunt) 
ren  of  Israel  return  and  seek  filii  Israel  et  quaerent  Jehovam  Deum 
the  Lord  their  God,  and  Da-  suum,  et  David  regem  suum,  et  timebunt 
vid  their  king ;  and  shall  fear  ad  Jehovam  et  ad  bonitatem  ejus  in  ex- 
the  Lord  and  his  goodness  in  tremitate  dierum. 
the  latter  days. 

These  verses  have  been  read  together,  for  in  these  four 
the  Prophet  explains  the  vision  presented  to  him.  He  says, 
first,  that  he  had  done  what  had  been  enjoined  him  by  God ; 
which  was  conveyed  to  him  by  a  vision,  or  in  a  typical  form, 
that  by  such  an  exhibition  he  might  impress  the  minds  of  the 
people :  /  bought,  he  says,  a  wife  for  fifteen  silverings,  and 
for  a  corns  ^  of  barley  and  half  a  corns ;  that  is,  for  a  corns 
and  a  half.  He  tells  us  in  this  verse  that  he  had  bought  the 
wife  whom  he  was  to  take  for  a  small  price.  By  i\ie  fifteen 
silverings  and  the  corns  and  half  of  barley  is  set  forth,  I  have 
no  doubt,  her  abject  and  mean  condition.  Servants,  we 
know,  were  valued  at  thirty  shekels  of  silver  when  hurt  by 
an  ox,  (Exod.  xxi.  32.)  But  the  Prophet  gives  her  for  his 
wife  fifteen  silverings ;  which  seemed  a  contemptible  gift. 
But  then  the  Lord  shows,  that  though  he  would  but  scantily 
support  his  people  in  exile,  they  would  still  be  dear  to  him, 
as  when  a  husband  loves  his  wife,  though  he  does  not  indulge 
her,  when  that  would  be  inexpedient :  overmuch  indulgence, 
as  it  is  well  known,  has  indeed  often  corrupted  those  who 
have  gone  astray.     When  a  husband  immediately  pardons 

1  A  Hebrew  measure,  containing  30  bushels,  the  load  of  a  camel. — Ed. 


CHAP.  III.  2-5.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  127 


an  adulterous  wife,  and  receives  her  with  a  smiling  counte- 
nance, and  fawninglj  humbles  himself  by  laying  aside  his 
own  right  and  authority,  he  acts  foolishly,  and  by  his  lenity 
ruins  his  wife  :  but  when  a  husband  forgives  his  wife,  and 
yet  strictly  confines  her  within  the  range  of  duty,  and  re- 
strains his  own  feelings,  such  a  moderate  course  is  very 
beneficial,  and  shows  no  common  prudence  in  the  husband  ; 
who,  though  he  is  not  cruel,  is  yet  not  carried  away  by 
foolish  love.  This,  then,  is  what  the  Prophet  means,  when 
he  says,  that  he  had  given  for  his  wife  fifteen  silverings  and 
a  corns  and  half  of  barley.  Respectable  women  did  not, 
indeed,  live  on  barley.  The  Prophet,  then,  gave  to  his  wife, 
not  wheat-flour,  nor  the  fine  flour  of  wheat,  but  black  bread 
and  coarse  food ;  yea,  he  gave  her  barley  as  her  allowance, 
and  in  a  small  quantity,  that  his  wife  might  have  but  a  scanty 
living.      We  now  then  understand  the  Prophet's  meaning. 

Some  elicit  a  contrary  sense,  that  the  Lord  would  splen- 
didly and  sumptuously  support  the  wife  who  had  been  an 
adulteress ;  but  this  view  by  no  means  harmonises  with  the 
Prophet's  design,  as  we  have  already  seen.  Besides,  the 
words  themselves  lead  us  another  way.  Jerome,  as  his  prac- 
tice is,  refines  in  allegorizing.  He  says,  that  the  people  were 
bought  for  fifteen  silverings,  because  they  came  out  of  Egypt  on 
the  fifteenth  day  of  the  month  ;  and  then  he  says,  that  as  the 
Hebrew  homer  contains  thirty  bushels,  they  were  bought  for 
a  corusand  half,  which  is  forty-five  bushels,  because  the  law  was 
promulgated  forty-five  days  after.  But  these  are  puerile  trifles. 
Let  then  the  simple  view  which  I  have  given  be  sufiicient 
for  us, — that  God,  though  he  favoured  her,  not  immediately 
with  the  honour  of  a  wife  and  liberal  support,  yet  ceased  not 
to  love  her.  Thus  we  see  the  minds  of  the  faithful  were 
sustained  to  bear  patiently  their  calamities  :  for  it  is  an  un- 
told consolation  to  know  that  God  loves  us.  If  a  testimony 
respecting  his  love  moderates  not  our  sorrows,  we  are  very 
ill-natured  and  ungrateful. 

The  Prophet  then  more  clearly  proves  in  these  words,  that 
God  loved  his  people,  though  he  seemed  to  be  alienated  from 
them.  He  might  have  wholly  destroyed  them  :  he  yet  sup- 
plied them  with  food  in  their  exile.    The  people  indeed  lived 


128  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  VIII. 

in  the  greatest  straits  ;  and  all  delicacies  were  no  doubt 
taken  from  tliem,  and  their  fare  was  very  sordid  and  very 
scanty :  but  the  Prophet  forbids  them  to  measure  God's 
favour  by  the  smallness  of  what  was  given  them ;  for  though 
God  would  not  immediately  receive  into  favour  a  wife  who 
had  been  an  adulteress,  yet  he  wished  her  to  continue  his 
wife. 

Hence  he  adds,  I  said  to  her,  For  many  days  shalt  thou 
tarry  for  me,  and  thou  shalt  not  become  wanton,  and  thou 
shalt  not  he  for  any  m.an ;  that  is,  '  Thou  shalt  remain  a 
widow ;  for  it  is  for  this  reason  that  I  still  retain  thee,  to 
find  out  whether  thou  wilt  sincerely  repent.  I  would  not 
indeed  be  too  easy  towards  thee,  lest  I  should  by  indulgence 
corrupt  thee  :  I  shall  see  what  thy  conduct  tvill  be  :  you  must 
in  the  meantime  continue  a  widow.'  This,  then,  was  God's 
small  favour  which  remained  for  the  people,  even  a  sort  of 
widowhood.  God  might,  indeed,  as  we  have  said,  have  ut- 
terly destroyed  his  people  :  but  he  mitigated  his  wrath  and  only 
punished  them  with  exile,  and  in  the  meantime,  proved  that 
he  was  not  forgetful  of  his  banished  people.  Though  then  he 
only  bestowed  some  scanty  allowance,  he  yet  did  not  wholly 
deprive  them  of  food,  nor  suffer  them  to  perish  through  want. 
This  treatment  then  in  reality  is  set  forth  by  this  repre- 
sentation, that  the  Prophet  had  bidden  his  wife  to  remain 
single. 

He  says,  And  I  also  shall  he  for  thee  :  why  does  he  say,  / 
also  ?  A  wife,  already  joined  to  her  husband,  has  no  right 
to  pledge  her  faith  to  another.  Then  the  Prophet  shows  that 
Israel  was  held  bound  by  the  Lord,  that  they  might  not  seek 
another  connection,  for  his  faith  was  pledged  to  them. 
Hence  he  says,  I  also  shall  he  for  thee;  that  is,  'I  pledge  my 
faith  to  thee,  or,  I  subscribe  myself  as  thy  husband :  but 
another  time  must  be  looked  for ;  I  yet  defer  my  favour,  and 
suspend  it  until  thou  givest  proof  of  true  repentance.'  / 
also,  he  says,  shall  he  for  thee ;  that  is,  ^  Thou  shalt  not  be  a 
widow  in  vain ;  if  thou  complainest  that  wrong  is  done  to 
thee,  because  I  forbid  thee  to  marry  any  one  else,  I  also  bind 
myself  in  turn  to  thee.'  Now  then  is  evident  the  mutual 
compact  between  God  and  his  people,  so  that  the  people, 


CHAP.  III.  2-5.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  129 

though  a  state  of  widowhood  be  full  of  sorrow,  ought  not  yet 
to  succumb  to  grief,  but  to  keep  themselves  exclusively  for 
God,  till  the  time  of  their  full  and  complete  deliverance,  be- 
cause he  says,  that  he  will  remain  true  to  his  pledge.  "  I 
will  then  be  thine  :  though  at  present,  I  admit  thee  not  into 
the  honour  of  wives,  I  will  not  yet  wholly  repudiate  thee." 

But  how  does  this  view  harmonize  with  the  first  predic- 
tion, according  to  which  God  seems  to  have  divorced  his 
people  ?  Their  concurrence  may  be  easily  explained.  The 
Prophet  indeed  said,  that  the  body  of  the  people  would  be 
alienated  from  God :  but  here  he  addresses  the  faithful  only. 
Lest  then  the  minds  of  those  who  were  healable  should  de- 
spond, the  Prophet  sets  before  them  this  comfort  which  I  have 
mentioned, — that  though  they  were  to  continue,  as  it  were, 
single,  yet  the  Lord  would  remain,  as  it  were,  bound  to  them, 
so  as  not  to  adopt  another  people  and  reject  them.  But  we 
shall  presently  see  that  this  prediction  regards  in  common 
the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews  and  Israelites. 

He  afterwards  adds.  For  many  days  shall  the  children  of 
Israel  abide.  He  says,  for  many  days,  that  they  might  pre- 
pare themselves  for  long  endurance,  and  be  not  dispirited 
through  weariness,  though  the  Lord  should  not  soon  free  them 
from  their  calamities.  "  Though  then  your  exile  should  be 
long,  still  cherish,"  he  says,  "  strong  hope  in  your  hearts  ;  for 
so  long  a  trial  must  necessarily  be  made  of  your  repentance ; 
as  you  have  very  often  pretended  to  return  to  the  Lord,  and 
soon  after  your  hypocrisy  was  discovered ;  and  then  ye  became 
hardened  in  your  wilful  obstinacy :  it  is  therefore  necessary 
that  the  Lord  should  subdue  you  by  a  long  chastisement." 
Hence  he  says.  The  children  of  Israel  shall  abide  without  a 
king  and  icithout  a  prince. 

But  it  may  still  be  further  asked,  What  is  the  number  of 
the  days  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks,  for  the  definite  num- 
ber is  not  stated  here  ;  and  we  know  that  the  exile  appointed 
for  the  Jews  was  seventy  years?  (Jer.xxix.lO.)  ButtheProphet 
seems  here  to  extend  his  prediction  farther,  even  to  the  time 
of  Christ.  To  this  I  answer,  that  here  he  refers  simply  to 
the  seventy  years;  though,  at  the  same  time,  we  must  remember 
that  those  who  returned  not  from  exile  were  supported  by  this 

VOL.  I.  I 


130  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  VIII. 

promise,  and  hoped  in  the  promised  Mediator :  but  the 
Prophet  goes  not  beyond  that  number,  afterwards  prefixed 
by  Jeremiah,  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  the  Prophet 
had  not  computed  the  years  and  days ;  for  the  time  of  the 
captivity,  that  is,  of  the  last  captivity,  was  not  yet  come. 
Shortly  after,  indeed,  four  tribes  were  led  away,  and  then  the 
ten,  and  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel  was  destroyed  :  but  the 
last  ruin  of  the  whole  people  was  not  yet  so  near.  It  was 
therefore  not  necessary  to  compute  then  the  years ;  but 
he  speaks  of  a  long  time  indefinitely,  and  speaks  of  the 
children  of  Israel  and  says.  They  shall  abide  without  a  king  and 
without  a  prince :  and  inasmuch  as  they  placed  their  trust  in 
their  king,  and  thought  themselves  happy  in  having  this  one 
distinction,  a  powerful  king,  he  says.  They  shall  abide  without 
a  king,  without  a  prince.  He  now  explains  their  widowhood 
without  similitudes :  hence  he  says,  They  shall  be  without  a 
king  and  a  priiice,  that  is,  there  shall  be  among  them  no  kind 
of  civil  government ;  they  shall  be  like  a  mutilated  body 
without  a  head  :  and  so  it  happened  to  them  in  their  miserable 
dispersion. 

And  without  a  sacrifice,  he  says,  and  without  a  statue.  The 
Hebrews  take  n!2^/!2j  metsabe,  often  in  a  bad  sense,  though  it 
means  generally  a  statue,  as  a  monument  over  a  grave  is 
called  m^/bj  metssibe :  but  the  Prophet  seems  to  speak  here 
of  idols,  for  he  afterwards  adds,  D''3in>  teraphim ;  and  tera- 
phim  were  no  doubt  images,  (Gen.  xxxi.  19-30,)  which  the 
superstitious  used  while  worshipping  their  fictitious  gods,  as 
we  read  in  many  places.  The  king  of  Babylon  is  said  to  have 
consulted  the  teraphim  ;  and  it  is  said  that  Rachel  stole  the 
teraphim,  and  shortly  after  Laban  calls  the  teraphim  his 
gods.  But  the  Hebrews  talk  idly  when  they  say  that  these 
images  were  made  of  a  constellation,  and  that  they  afterwards 
uttered  words :  but  all  this  has  been  invented,  and  we  know 
what  liberty  they  take  in  devising  fables.  The  meaning  is, 
that  God  would  take  away  from  the  people  of  Israel  all  civil 
order,  and  then  all  sacred  rites  and  ceremonies,  that  they 
might  abide  as  a  widow,  and  at  the  same  time  know,  that 
they  were  not  utterly  rejected  by  God  without  hope  of  recon- 
ciliation. 


CHAP.  III.  2-5.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  131 

It  is  asked,  why  ephod  is  mentioned ;  for  the  priesthood 
continued  among  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  ephod,  it  is 
well  known,  was  a  part  of  the  sacerdotal  dress.  To  this  I 
answer,  that  when  Jeroboam  introduced  false  worship,  he 
employed  this  artifice — to  make  religion  among  the  Israelites 
nearly  like  true  religion  in  its  outward  form :  for  it  seems  to 
have  been  his  purpose  that  it  should  vary  as  little  as  possible 
from  the  legitimate  worship  of  God  :  hence  he  said,  *  It  is 
grievous  and  troublesome  to  you  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  then 
let  us  worship  God  here,'  (1  Kings  xii.  28.)  But  he  pretended 
to  change  nothing ;  he  would  not  appear  to  be  an  apostate, 
departing  from  the  only  true  God.  What  then  ?  "God  may 
be  worshipped  without  trouble  by  us  here  ;  for  I  will  build 
temples  in  several  places,  and  also  erect  altars  :  what  hinders 
that  sacrifices  should  not  be  offered  to  God  in  many  places  ?" 
There  is  therefore  no  doubt  but  that  he  made  his  altars 
according  to  the  form  of  the  true  altar,  and  also  added  the 
ephod  and  various  ceremonies,  that  the  Israelites  might 
think  that  they  still  continued  in  the  true  worship  of  God. 

But  it  follows.  Afterwards  shall  the  children  of  Israel  return 
and  seek  Jehovah  their  God,  and  David  their  king.  Here  the 
Prophet  shows  by  the  fruit  of  their  chastisement,  that  the 
Israelites  had  no  reason  to  murmur  or  clamour  against  God, 
as  though  he  treated  them  with  too  much  severity  ;  for  if  he 
had  stretched  out  his  hand  to  them  immediately,  there  would 
have  been  in  them  no  repentance :  but  when  thoroughly 
cleansed  by  long  correction,  they  would  then  truly  and  sin- 
cerely confess  their  God.  We  then  see  that  this  comfort  is 
set  forth  as  arising  from  the  fruit  of  chastisement,  that  the 
Israelites  might  patiently  bear  the  temporary  wrath  of  God. 
Afterwards,  he  says,  they  shall  return ;  as  though  he  said, 
"  They  are  now  led  away  headlong  into  their  impiety,  and 
they  can  by  no  means  be  restrained  except  by  this  long 
endurance  of  evils." 

They  shall  therefore  return,  and  then  icill  they  seek  Jehovah 
their  God.  The  name  of  the  only  true  God  is  set  here  in  op- 
position, as  before,  to  all  Baalim.  The  Israelites,  indeed,  pro- 
fessed to  worship  God ;  but  Baalim,  we  know,  were  at  the 
same  time  in  high  esteem  among  them,  who  were  so  many 


132  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

gods,  and  had  crept  Into  the  place  of  God,  and  extinguished 
his  pure  worship  :  hence  the  Prophet  says  not  simply,  They 
shall  seek  God,  but  they  shall  seek  Jehovah  their  God.  And  there 
is  here  an  implied  reproof  in  the  word  D''^7^^J  aleiyn;  for  it  inti- 
mates that  they  were  drawn  aside  into  ungodly  superstitions, 
that  they  were  without  the  tnie  God,  that  no  knowledge  of  him 
existed  among  them  ;  though  God  had  offered  himself  to  them, 
yea,  had  familiarly  held  intercourse  with  them,  and  brought 
them  up  as  it  were  in  his  bosom,  as  a  father  his  own  children. 
Hence  the  Prophet  indirectly  upbraids  them  for  this  great 
wickedness  when  he  says,  Tliey  shall  seek  their  God.  And 
who  is  this  God  ?  He  is  even  Jehovah.  They  had  hitherto 
formed  for  themselves  vain  gods :  and  though,  he  says,  they 
had  been  deluded  by  their  own  devices,  they  shall  now  know 
the  only  true  God,  who  from  the  beginning  revealed  himself 
to  them  even  as  their  God.  He  afterwards  adds  a  second 
clause  respecting  King  David  :  but  I  cannot  now  finish  the 
subject. 

PEAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  often  dost  justly  hide  thy  face 
from  us,  so  that  on  every  side  we  see  nothing  but  evidences  of 
thy  dreadful  judgment, — O  grant,  that  we,  with  minds  raised 
above  the  scene  of  this  world,  may  at  the  same  time  cherish  the 
hope  which  thou  constantly  settest  before  us,  so  that  we  may 
feel  fully  persuaded  that  we  are  loved  by  thee,  however  severely 
thou  mayest  chastise  us  :  and  may  tliis  consolation  so  support 
.  and  sustain  om-  souls,  that  patiently  enduring  whatever  chas- 
tisements thou  mayest  lay  upon  us,  Ave  may  ever  hold  fast  the 
reconciliation  which  thou  hast  promised  to  us  in  Christ  thy  Son. 
Amen. 


We  have  now  to  consider  the  second  clause,  respecting 
King  David.  The  Prophet  tells  us,  that  when  the  Israelites 
shall  be  moved  Avith  the  desire  of  seeking  God,  they  shall 
also  seek  David  their  king.  They  had,  as  it  is  well  known, 
departed  from  their  allegiance  to  him  ;  though  God  had  set 
David  over  the  whole  people  for  this  end, — that  they  might 


CHAP.  III.  2-5.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  133 

all  be  happy  under  his  power  and  dominion,  and  remain  safe 
and  secure,  as  though  they  beheld  God  with  their  own  eyes ; 
for  David  was,  as  it  were,  the  angel  of  God.  Then  the  revolt 
of  the  people,  or  of  the  ten  tribes,  was  like  a  renunciation  of 
the  living  God.  The  Lord  said  to  Samuel,  '  Thee  have  they 
not  despised,  but  rather  me,'  (1  Sam.  viii.  7  :)  this  must  have 
been  much  more  the  case  with  regard  to  David,  whom 
Samuel,  by  God's  command,  had  anointed,  and  whom  the 
Lord  had  honoured  with  so  many  bright  commendations ; 
they  could  not  have  cast  away  his  yoke,  without  openly  re- 
jecting, as  it  were,  God  himself.  Hence  Hosea,  speaking  of 
the  people's  repentance,  does  not,  without  reason,  distinctly 
mention  this,  that  they  shall  return  to  David  their  king : 
for  they  could  not  sincerely  and  from  the  heart  seek  God, 
without  subjecting  themselves  to  that  lawful  authority  to 
which  they  had  been  bound,  not  by  men,  nor  by  chance,  but 
by  God's  command. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  David  was  then  dead ;  but  Hosea 
sets  forth  here,  in  the  person  of  one  man,  that  everlasting 
kingdom,  which  the  Jews  knew  would  endure  as  the  sun  and 
moon  :  for  Avell  known  to  them  all  was  this  remarkable  pro- 
mise, '  As  long  as  the  sun  and  moon  shall  shine  in  heaven, 
they  shall  be  faithful  witnesses  to  me,  that  the  throne  of 
David  shall  continue,'  (Psal.  Ixxii.  5,  18.)  Hence,  after  the 
death  of  David,  the  Prophet  shows  here  that  his  kingdom 
would  be  forever,  for  he  survived  in  his  children ;  and,  as  it 
evidently  appears,  they  commonly  called  their  Messiah  the 
son  of  David.  We  must  now  of  necessity  come  to  Christ : 
for  Israel  could  not  seek  their  king,  David,  who  had  been 
long  dead ;  but  were  to  seek  that  King  whom  God  had  pro- 
mised from  the  posterity  of  David.  This  prophecy,  then,  no 
doubt  extends  to  Christ :  and  it  is  evident  that  the  only  hope 
of  the  people  being  gathered  was  this,  that  God  had  testified 
that  he  would  give  a  Redeemer. 

We  now  then  see  what  the  Prophet  had  In  view ;  the 
Israelites  had  become  degenerate;  and,  by  their  perfidy,  they 
ceased  to  be  the  true  and  genuine  people  of  God,  as  long  as 
they  continued  alienated  from  the  family  of  David.     The 


134  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

Prophet,  speaking  of  their  full  restoration,  now  joins  David 
with  God ;  for  they  could  not  be  restored  to  the  body  of  the 
Church,  without  uniting  with  the  Jews  in  honouring  one  and 
the  same  head.  But  we  must,  at  the  same  time,  remember, 
that  the  king,  whom  the  Prophet  mentions,  is  not  David, 
who  had  been  long  dead,  but  his  son,  to  whom  the  perpetuity 
of  his  kingdom  had  been  promised. 

This  doctrine  is  especially  useful  to  us ;  for  it  shows  that 
God  is  not  to  be  sought  except  in  Christ  the  Mediator. 
Whosoever,  then,  forsakes  Christ,  forsakes  God  himself; 
for  as  John  says,  '  He  who  hath  not  the  Son,  hath  not  the 
Father,'  (1  John  ii.  23.)  And  the  thing  itself  proves  this; 
for  God  dwells  in  light  inaccessible ;  hoAV  great,  then,  is  the 
distance  between  us  and  him  ?  Except  Christ,  then,  presents 
himself  to  us  as  a  middle  person,  how  can  we  come  to  God  ? 
But  then  only  we  begin  really  to  seek  God,  when  we  turn 
our  eyes  to  Christ,  who  willingly  offers  himself  to  us.  This 
is  the  only  way  of  seeking  God  aright. 

Some,  with  more  refinement,  contend,  that  Christ  is  Jeho- 
vah, because  the  Prophet  says,  that  he  is  to  be  sought  not 
otherwise  than  as  God  is.  By  the  word,  seeking,  the  Pro- 
phet indeed  means,  that  the  Israelites  had  no  other  way  of 
being  safe  and  secure  than  by  fleeing  under  the  guardianship 
and  protection  of  their  legitimate  king,  whom  they  knew  to 
have  been  divinely  ordained  for  them.  This,  then,  would 
not  be  sufficient  to  confute  the  Jews,  I  take  the  passage  in 
a  simpler  way,  as  meaning,  that  they  Avould  seek  their  God  in 
the  person  of  the  king,  Avhose  hand  and  efforts  God  intended 
to  employ  in  the  preservation  of  the  people. 

It  further  follows,  And  tltey  shall  fear  Jehovah  and  his  good- 
ness in  the  last  days.  The  verb  IHS)  peched,  means  some- 
times, to  dread,  to  be  frightened,  as  they  are  who  are  so  ter- 
rified as  to  lose  all  courage.  But  in  this  place  it  is  to  be 
taken  in  a  good  sense,  to  fear,  as  it  appears  evident  from  the 
context.  Then  he  says.  They  shall  fear  God  and  his  goodness. 
The  Israelites  had  before  shaken  off  the  yoke  of  God :  for  it 
was  a  proof  of  wanton  contempt  in  them  to  build  a  new 
temple ;  to  devise,  at  their  own  will,  a  new  religion ;  and,  in 


CHAP.  III.  2-5.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  135 

a  word,  to  allow  themselves  an  unbridled  licentiousness. 
Hence  he  says,  They  shall  hereafter  begin  to  fear  God,  and 
shall  continue  in  his  service. 

And  he  adds,  and  his  goodness ;  by  which  he  means  that 
God  would  not  be  dreaded  by  them,  but  that  he  would 
sweetly  allure  them  to  himself,  that  they  might  obey  him  spon- 
taneously and  freely,  and  even  joyfully :  and  doubtless  God 
does  then  only  make  us  really  to  fear  him,  when  he  gives  us 
a  taste  of  his  goodness.  For  God's  majesty  strikes  terror 
into  us  ;  and  we,  in  the  meantime,  seek  hiding-places  ;  and 
were  it  possible  for  us  to  withdraw  from  him,  each  of  us 
would  do  so  gladly  :  but  it  is  not  to  worship  God  with  due 
honour,  when  we  flee  away  from  him.  It  is  then  a  sense  of 
his  goodness  that  leads  us  reverentially  to  fear  him.  *  With 
thee,'  says  David,  '  is  forgiveness,  that  thou  mayest  be  feared,' 
(Ps.  cxxx.  4  :)  for  except  men  know  God  to  be  ready  to  be 
at  peace  with  them,  and  feel  assured  that  he  will  be  propi- 
tious to  them,  no  one  will  seek  him,  no  one  will  fear  him  ; 
for  without  knowing  this,  we  could  not  but  wish  his  glory  to 
be  abolished  and  extinguished,  and  that  he  should  be  without 
authority,  lest  he  should  become  our  judge.  But  every  one 
who  has  tasted  of  God's  goodness,  so  orders  himself  as  to 
obey  God. 

What  the  Prophet  then  means  when  he  says,  Thei/  shall 
then  fear  God^  is  this,  that  they  shall  understand  that  they 
were  miserable  as  long  as  they  were  alienated  from  him,  and 
that  true  happiness  is  to  submit  to  his  authority. 

But  further,  this  goodness  is  to  be  referred  to  Christ. 
Some  take  1)2lt0j  thuhii,  for  glory,  as  in  Exod.  xxxiii. ;  but  the 
connection  of  this  passage  requires  the  word  to  be  taken  in 
its  proper  sense.  And  God's  goodness,  we  know,  is  so  exhi- 
bited to  us  in  Christ,  that  not  a  particle  of  it  is  to  be  sought 
for  anywhere  else :  for  from  this  fountain  must  we  draw 
whatever  refers  to  our  salvation  and  happiness  of  life.  Let 
us  then  know  that  God  cannot  from  the  heart  be  worshipped 
by  us,  except  when  we  behold  him  in  the  person  of  his  Son, 
and  know  him  to  be  a  kind  Father  to  us :  hence  John  says, 
*  He  who  honours  not  the  Son,  honours  not  the  Father,'  (John 
V.  23.) 


136  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

Lastly,  he  adds,  In  the  extremity  of  days ;  for  the  Prophet 
wished  again  to  remind  the  Israelites  of  Avhat  he  had  said  be- 
fore,— that  they  had  need  of  long  affliction,  by  which  God 
would  by  degrees  reform  them.  He  then  shows  that  their 
perverseness  was  such,  that  they  would  not  soon  be  brought 
into  a  right  mind  ;  but  that  this  would  be  in  the  extremity  of 
days.  At  the  same  time  he  relieves  the  minds  of  the  godly, 
that  they  might  not,  through  weariness,  grow  faint :  for 
though  they  were  not  at  first  to  taste  of  God's  goodness,  the 
Prophet  reminds  them  that  there  was  no  reason  to  despair, 
because  the  Lord  Avould  manifest  his  goodness  in  the  extre- 
mity of  days.  We  may  add,  that  this  extremity  of  days  had 
its  beginning  at  the  return  of  the  people.  When  liberty  was 
granted  to  the  Jews  to  return  to  their  own  country,  it  was 
the  extremity  or  fulness  of  days,  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks. 
But  a  continued  series  from  the  people's  return  to  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,  must  at  the  same  time  be  understood ;  for  the 
Lord  then  performed  more  fully  what  he  declares  here  by  his 
Prophet.  Plence  everywhere  in  Scri2:)ture,  especially  in  the 
New  Testament,  the  manifestation  of  Christ  is  placed  in  the 
last  times.  This  chapter  is  now  explained.  The  fourth  now 
follows. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


1.  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  ye  1.  Audite  verbum  JehoA\'e,  filii  Is- 
children  of  Israel:  for  the  Loi'd  hath  rael,  quia  lis  Jehovaj  cum  incolis 
a  controversy  with  the  inhabitants  terrje:  quia  nulla  fides,  (aut^  Veritas, 
of  the  land,  because  there  is  no  truth,  nulla  fidelitas,)  et  nulla  benefici- 
nor  mercy,  nor  knoAvledge  of  God  entia,  etnulla  cognitio  Dei  in  terra, 
in  the  land. 

2.  By  swearing,  and  lying,  and  2.  Maledicere,  et  mentiri,  et  occi- 
killing,  and  stealing,  and  commit-  dere,  et  furari,  et  adulterium  com- 
ting  adultery,  they  break  out,  and  mittere  perrupcrunt,  et  sanguines 
blood  toucheth  blood.  sanguinibus  fuerunt  continui. 

This  is  a  new  discourse  by  the  Prophet,  separate  from  his 
former  discourses.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  Prophets 
did  not  literally  write  what  they  delivered  to  the  people,  nor 
did  they  treat  only  once  of  those  things  which  are  now  ex- 
tant with  us ;  but  we  have  in  their  books  collected  summaries 


CHAP.  IV.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  137 

and  heads  of  those  matters  which  they  -were  wont  to  address 
to  the  people.  Hosea,  no  doubt,  very  often  descanted  on  the 
exile  and  the  restoration  of  the  people,  forasmuch  as  he  dwelt 
much  on  all  the  things  which  we  have  hitherto  noticed.  In- 
deed, the  slowness  and  dulness  of  the  people  were  such,  that 
the  same  things  were  repeated  daily.  But  it  was  enough  for 
the  Prophets  to  make  and  to  write  down  a  brief  summary  of 
what  they  taught  in  their  discourses. 

Hosea  now  relates  how  vehemently  he  reproved  the  people, 
because  every  kind  of  corruption  so  commonly  prevailed,  that 
there  was  no  sound  part  in  the  whole  community.  We  hence 
see  what  the  Prophet  treats  of  now ;  and  this  ought  to  be 
observed,  for  hypocrites  wish  ever  to  be  flattered ;  and  when 
the  mercy  of  God  is  offered  to  them,  they  seek  to  be  freed 
from  every  fear.  It  is  therefore  a  bitter  thing  to  them,  when 
threatenings  are  mingled,  when  God  sharply  chides  them. 
"  What !  we  heard  yesterday  a  discoui'se  on  God's  mercy, 
and  now  he  fulminates  against  us.  He  is  then  changeable  ; 
if  he  were  consistent,  would  not  his  manner  of  teachinsf  be 
alike  and  the  same  to-day  ?"  But  men  must  be  often  awak- 
ened, for  forgetfulness  of  God  often  creeps  over  them ;  they 
indulge  themselves,  and  nothing  is  more  difficult  than  to  lead 
them  to  God ;  nay,  when  they  have  made  some  advances, 
they  soon  turn  aside  to  some  other  course. 

We  hence  see  that  men  cannot  be  taught,  except  God  re- 
proves their  sins  by  his  word  ;  and  then,  lest  they  despond, 
gives  them  a  hope  of  mercy  ;  and  except  he  again  returns  to 
reproofs  and  threatenings.  This  is  the  mode  of  address  which 
we  find  in  all  the  Prophets. 

I  now  come  to  the  Prophet's  words  :  Hear,  he  says,  the 
word  of  Jehovah,  ye  children  of  Israel,  the  Lord  hath  a  dispute, 
8fc.  The  Prophet,  by  saying  that  the  Lord  had  a  dispute 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  intimates  that  men  in  vain 
flatter  themselves,  when  they  have  God  against  them,  and 
that  they  shall  soon  find  him  to  be  their  Judge,  except  they 
in  time  anticipate  his  vengeance.  But  he  also  reminds  the 
Israelites  that  God  had  a  dispute  with  them,  that  they  might 
not  have  to  feel  the  severity  of  justice,  but  reconcile  them- 
selves to  God,  while  a  seasonable  opportunity   was  given 


138  TOE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

them.  Then  the  Prophet's  introduction  had  this  object  in 
view — to  make  the  Israelites  to  know  that  God  would  be  ad- 
verse to  them,  except  they  sought,  without  delay,  to  regain 
his  favour.  The  Lord  then,  since  he  declared  that  he  would 
contend  with  them,  shows  that  he  was  not  willing  to  do  so  : 
for  had  God  determined  to  punish  the  people,  what  need 
was  there  of  this  warning  ?  Could  he  not  instantly  execute 
judgment  on  them  ?  Since,  then,  the  Prophet  was  sent  to 
the  children  of  Israel  to  warn  them  of  a  great  and  fatal  dan- 
ger, God  had  still  a  regard  for  their  safety  :  and  doubtless 
this  warning  prevailed  with  many ;  for  those  who  were  alarmed 
by  this  denunciation  humbled  themselves  before  God,  and 
hardened  not  themselves  in  wickedness  :  and  the  reprobate, 
though  not  amended,  were  yet  rendered  twice  less  excusable. 

The  same  is  the  case  among  us,  whenever  God  threatens 
us  with  judgment :  they  who  are  not  altogether  intractable 
or  unhealable,  confess  their  guilt,  and  deprecate  God's  wrath ; 
and  others,  though  they  harden  their  hearts  in  wickedness, 
cannot  yet  quench  the  power  of  truth ;  for  the  Lord  takes 
from  them  every  pretext  for  ignorance,  and  conscience  Avounds 
them  more  deeply,  after  they  have  been  thus  warned. 

We  noAV  then  understand  what  the  Prophet  meant  by  say- 
ing, that  God  had  a  dispute  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land. 
But  that  the  Prophet's  intention  may  be  more  clear  to  us, 
we  must  bear  in  mind,  that  he  and  other  faithful  teachers 
were  wearied  with  crying,  and  that  in  the  meantime  no  fruit 
appeared.  He  saw  that  his  warnings  were  heedlessly  de- 
spised, and  that  hence  his  last  resort  was  to  summon  men  to 
God's  tribunal.  "We  also  are  constrained,  when  we  prevail 
nothing,  to  follow  the  same  course  :  "  God  will  judge  you ; 
for  no  one  will  bear  to  be  judged  by  his  word  :  whatever  we 
announce  to  you  in  his  name,  is  counted  a  matter  of  sport : 
he  himself  at  length  will  show  that  he  has  to  do  with  you." 
In  a  similar  strain  does  Zechariah  speak,  '  They  shall  look  on 
him  whom  they  have  pierced,'  (Zech.  xii.  10:)  and  to  the  same 
purpose  does  Isaiah  say,  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  made 
sad.  '  Is  it  not  enough,'  he  says,  *  that  ye  should  be  vexa- 
tious to  men,  except  ye  be  so  also  to  my  God  ?'  (Isa.  vii.  13.) 
The  Prophet  joined  himself  with  God ;  for  the  ungodly  king 


CHAP.  IV.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  139 

Aliaz,  by  tempting  God,  did  at  the  same  time  trifle  with  his 
Prophets. 

There  is  then  here  an  implied  contrast  between  the  dis- 
pute which  God  announces  respecting  the  Israelites,  and  the 
daily  strifes  he  had  with  them  by  his  Prophets.  For  this 
reason  also  the  Lord  said,  '  My  Spirit  shall  no  more  strive 
with  man,  for  he  is  flesh,'  (Gen.  vi.  3.)  God  indeed  says 
there,  that  he  had  waited  in  vain  for  men  to  return  to  the 
right  way ;  for  they  were  refractory  beyond  any  hope  of  re- 
pentance: he  therefore  declared,  that  he  would  j^resently 
punish  them.  So  also  in  this  place,  "  The  Lord  has  a  trial 
at  law ;  he  will  now  himself  plead  his  own  cause  :  he  has 
hitherto  long  exercised  his  Prophets  in  contending  with  you ; 
yea,  he  has  wearied  them  with  much  and  continual  labour  ; 
ye  remain  ever  like  yourselves ;  he  will  therefore  begin  now 
to  plead  eflectually  his  own  cause  with  you  :  he  will  no  more 
speak  to  you  by  the  mouth,  but  by  his  power,  show  himself 
a  judge."  The  Prophet,  however,  designedly  laid  down  the 
word,  disunite,  that  the  Israelites  might  know  that  God  would 
severely  treat  them,not  without  cause,  nor  unjustly ;  as  though 
he  said,  "  God  will  so  punish  you  as  to  show  at  the  same  time 
that  he  will  do  so  for  the  best  reason  :  ye  elude  all  threat en- 
ings ;  ye  think  that  you  can  make  yourselves  safe  by  your 
shifts  :  there  are  no  evasions  by  which  you  can  possibly  hope 
to  attain  any  thing ;  for  God  will  at  length  uncover  all  your 
wickedness."  In  short,  the  Prophet  here  joins  punishment 
with  God's  justice,  or  he  points  out  by  one  word,  a  real 
(so  to  speak)  or  an  effectual  contention,  by  which  the  Lord 
not  only  reproves  men  in  words,  but  also  visits  with  judg- 
ment their  sins. 

It  follows.  Because  there  is  no  truth,  no  kindness,  no  know^ 
ledge  of  God.  The  dispute,  he  said,  was  to  be  with  the  in- 
habitants of  the  land  :  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  he  means 
the  whole  body  of  the  people  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Not  a  few 
men  have  become  corrupt,  but  all  kinds  of  wickedness  prevail 
everywhere."  And  for  the  same  reason  he  adds,  that  there 
was  no  truth,  &c.  in  the  land;  as  though  he  said,  "They  who 
sin  hide  not  themselves  now  in  lurking-places ;  they  seek  no 
recesses,  like  those  who  are  ashamed  ;  but  so  much  licentious- 


140  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

ness  is  everywhere  dominant,  that  the  whole  land  is  filled  with 
the  contempt  of  God  and  with  crimes."  This  was  a  severe 
reproof  to  proud  men.  How  much  the  Israelites  flattered 
themselves,  we  know ;  it  was  therefore  necessary  for  the  Pro- 
phet to  speak  thiis  sharply  to  a  refractory  people;  for  a 
gentle  and  kind  warning  proves  eflectual  only  to  the  meek  and 
teachable.  When  the  world  grows  hardened  against  God, 
such  a  rigorous  treatment  as  the  words  of  the  Prophet  dis- 
close must  be  used.  Let  those  then,  to  whom  is  intrusted 
the  charge  of  teaching,  see  that  they  do  not  gently  warn 
men,  when  hardened  in  their  vices  ;  but  let  them  follow  this 
vehemence  of  the  Prophet. 

We  said  at  the  beginning,  that  the  Prophet  had  a  good 
reason  for  being  so  warm  in  his  indignation :  he  was  not  at 
the  moment  foolishly  carried  away  by  the  heat  of  zeal ;  but 
he  knew  that  he  had  to  do  with  men  so  perverse,  that  they 
could  not  be  handled  in  any  other  way.  The  Prophet  now 
reproves  not  only  one  kind  of  evil,  but  brings  together  every 
sort  of  crimes  ;  as  though  he  said,  that  the  Israelites  were  in 
every  way  corrupt  and  perverted.  He  says  first,  that  there 
was  among  them  no  faithfulness,  and  no  kindness.  He  speaks 
here  of  their  contempt  of  the  second  table  of  the  law ;  for  by 
this  the  impiety  of  men  is  sooner  found  out,  that  is,  when  an 
examination  is  made  of  their  life  :  for  hypocrites  vauntingly 
profess  the  name  of  God,  and  confidently  (plenis  huccis — with 
full  cheeks)  arrogate  faith  to  themselves ;  and  then  they 
cover  their  vices  with  the  external  show  of  divine  worship, 
and  frigid  acts  of  devotion  :  nay,  the  very  thing  mentioned 
by  Jeremiah  is  too  commonly  the  case,  that  '  the  house  of 
God  is  made  a  den  of  thieves,'  (Jer.  vii.  11.)  Hence  the 
Prophets,  that  they  might  drag  the  ungodly  to  the  light,  ex- 
amine their  conduct  according  to  the  duties  of  love  :  "  Ye  are 
right  worshippers  of  God,  ye  are  most  holy  ;  but  in  the  mean- 
time, where  is  truth,  where  is  mutual  fiiithfulness,  where  is 
kindness  ?  If  ye  are  not  men,  how  can  ye  be  angels  ?  Ye 
are  given  to  avarice,  ye  are  perfidious,  ye  are  cruel :  what 
more  can  be  said  of  you,  except  that  each  of  you  condemns 
all  the  rest  before  God,  and  that  your  life  is  also  condemned 
by  all  ?" 


CHAP.  IV.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  14^ 

By  saying  that  truth  or  faithfulness  was  extinct,  lie  makes 
them  to  be  like  foxes,  who  are  ever  deceitful :  by  saying  that 
there  was  no  kindness,  he  accuses  them  of  cruelty,  as  though 
he  said,  that  they  were  like  lions  and  wild  beasts.  But  the 
fountain  of  all  these  vices  he  points  out  in  the  third  clause, 
when  he  says,  that  they  had  no  knoioledge  of  God :  and  the 
knowledge  of  God  he  takes  for  the  fear  of  God  which  pro- 
ceeds from  the  knowledge  of  him  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  In  a 
word,  men  go  on  as  licentiously,  as  if  they  did  not  think  that 
there  is  a  God  in  heaven,  as  if  all  religion  was  effaced  from 
their  hearts."  For  as  long  as  any  knowledge  of  God  remains 
in  us,  it  is  like  a  bridle  to  restrain  us  :  but  when  men  become 
wanton,  and  allow  themselves  every  liberty,  it  is  certain  that 
they  have  forgotten  God,  and  that  there  is  in  them  now  no 
knowledge  of  God.  Hence  the  complaints  in  the  Psalms, 
'  The  ungodly  have  said  in  their  heart,  There  is  no  God,' 
(Ps.  xiv.  1 :)  '  Impiety  speaks  in  my  heart.  There  is  no  God.' 
Men  cannot  run  headlong  into  brutal  stupidity,  while  a  spark 
of  the  true  knowledge  of  God  shines  or  twinkles  in  their 
minds.  We  now  then  perceive  the  real  meaning  of  the  Pro- 
phet. 

But  after  having  said  that  they  were  full  of  perfidiousness 
and  cruelty,  he  adds.  By  cursing,  and  lying,  and  killing,  8fc,, 
Tw^i  «^fj  means  to  swear :  some  explain  it  in  this  place  as 
signifying  to  forswear ;  and  others  read  the  two  together, 
tJ^riDI  n75^j  al^  ucsLchesh,  to  swear  and  lie,  that  is,  to  deceive 
by  swearing.  But  as  M/X?  al^,  means  often  to  curse,  the 
Prophet  here,  I  doubt  not,  condemns  the  practice  of  cursing, 
which  was  become  frequent  and  common  among  the  people. 

But  he  enumerates  particulars  in  order  more  effectually  to 
check  the  fierceness  of  the  people ;  for  the  wicked,  we  know, 
do  not  easily  bend  their  neck :  they  first  murmur,  then  they 
clamour  against  wholesome  instruction,  and  at  last  they  rage 
with  open  fury,  and  break  out  into  violence,  when  they  can- 
not otherwise  stop  the  progress  of  sound  doctrine.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  we  see  that  they  are  not  easily  led  to  own 
their  sins.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  shows  here, 
by  stating  particulars,  in  how  many  ways  they  provoked  God's 


142  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  TROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

wrath  :  '  Lo,'  he  says,  '  cursings,  lyings,  murders,  thefts,  adul- 
teries, abound  among  you.'  And  the  Prophet  seems  here  to 
allude  to  the  precepts  of  the  law  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  If  any 
one  compares  your  life  with  the  law  of  Grod,  he  will  find  that 
you  avowedly  and  designedly  lead  such  a  life,  as  proves  that 
you  fight  against  God,  that  you  violate  every  part  of  his  law." 

But  it  must  be  here  observed,  that  he  speaks  not  of  such 
thieves  or  murderers  as  are  led  in  our  day  to  the  gallows,  or 
are  otherwise  punished.  On  the  contrary,  he  calls  them 
thieves  and  murderers  and  adulterers,  who  were  in  high 
esteem,  and  eminent  in  honour  and  wealth,  and  who,  in  short, 
were  alone  illustrious  among  the  people  of  Israel :  such  did  the 
Proj^het  brand  with  these  disgraceful  names,  calling  them 
murderers  and  thieves.  So  also  does  Isaiah  speak  of  them, 
'  Thy  princes  are  robbers  and  companions  of  thieves,'  (Isa.  i. 
23.)  And  we  already  reminded  you,  that  the  Prophet  ad- 
dresses not  his  discourses  to  few  men,  but  to  the  whole 
people  ;  for  all,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  had  fallen  away. 

He  afterwards  says.  They  have  broken  out.  The  expression 
no  doubt  is  to  be  taken  metaphorically,  as  though  he  said, 
''  There  are  now  no  bonds,  no  barriers."  For  the  people  so 
raged  against  God,  that  no  modesty,  no  shame  on  account  of 
the  law,  no  religion,  no  fear,  prevailed  among  them,  or 
checked  their  intractable  spirit.  Hence  they  broke  out.  By 
the  word,  breaking  out,  the  Prophet  sets  forth  the  furious 
wantonness  seen  in  the  reprobate ;  when  freed  from  the  fear 
of  God,  they  abandon  themselves  to  what  is  sinful,  without 
any  moderation,  Avithout  any  restraint. 

And  to  the  same  purpose  he  subjoins.  Bloods  are  contigu- 
ous to  bloods.  By  bloods  he  means  all  the  worst  crimes :  and 
he  says  that  bloods  were  close  to  bloods,  because  they  joined 
crimes  together,  and  as  Isaiah  says,  that,  iniquity  was  as  it 
were  a  train ;  so  our  Prophet  says  here,  that  such  was  the 
common  liberty  they  took  to  sin,  that  wherever  he  turned 
his  eyes,  he  could  see  no  part  free  from  wickedness.  Then 
bloods  are  contiguous  to  bloods,  that  is,  everywhere  is  seen 
the  horrible  spectacle  of  crimes.  This  is  the  meaning.  It 
now  follows — 


CHAP.  IV.  3.  C03IMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  143 

3.  Therefore  shall  the        3.  Propterea  lugebit  et  langueblt  (weZ,  sued-' 

laud  mourn,  and  every  ,  ,        L*^..^      •      .  •     -^    ^\         •  i 

one  that  dweUeth  there-  ^^^*"^' '  ^^^  '''""  utrunque  sigmficat)  omms  ha- 

in  shall  lano-uish    with  bitans  in  ea,  in  bestia  agri,  in  volucre  coeli  atque 

the  beasts  of  the  field  etiam  piscibus  maris  coUigentnr  (serf  in  tantun- 

and  with    the  fowls  of  ^'^^^  ^"^  valet  ac  cum :  possemus  etiam  vertere,  A 

heaven ;  yea,  the  fishes  bestia  agri,  k   volucre  coeli  usque  ad  pisces 

of  the  sea  also  shall  be  "i.^ris  colligentur  omnes,  vel,  tollentiir  e  me- 

taken  away.  <lio.) 

The  Prophet  now  expresses  more  clearly  the  dispute  which 
he  mentions  in  the  first  verse ;  and  it  now  evidently  appears, 
that  it  was  not  a  judgment  expressed  in  words,  for  God  had 
in  vain  tried  to  bring  the  people  to  the  right  way  by  threats 
and  reproofs  :  he  had  contended  enough  with  them;  they  re- 
mained refractory;  hence  he  adds,  Noiv  mourn  shall  the  whole 
land;  that  is,  God  hath  now  resolved  to  execute  his  judg- 
ment :  there  is  therefore  no  use  for  you  any  more  to  contrive 
any  evasion,  as  you  have  been  hitherto  wont  to  do ;  for  God 
stretches  forth  his  hand  for  your  ultimate  destruction.  Mourn, 
therefore,  shall  the  land,  and  cut  off  shall  be  every  one  that 
dwells  in  it,  as  I  prefer  to  render  it ;  unless  the  Prophet,  it 
may  be,  means,  that  though  God  should  for  a  time  suspend 
the  last  judgment,  yet  the  Israelites  would  gain  nothing,  see- 
ing that  they  would,  by  continual  languor,  pine  away.  But 
as  he  mentions  mourning  in  the  first  place,  the  former  mean- 
ing, that  God  would  destroy  all  the  inhabitants,  seems  more 
appropriate.  He  adds,  gathered  shall  they  he  all,  or  destroyed, 
(for  either  may  suit  the  place,)  from  the  beast  of  the  field,  and 
the  bird  of  heaven,  to  the  fishes  of  the  sea.  The  Prophet  here 
enlarges  on  the  greatness  of  God's  wrath;  for  he  includes 
even  the  innocent  beasts  and  the  birds  of  heaven,  yea,  the 
fishes  of  the  sea.  When  God's  vengeance  extends  to  brute 
animals,  what  will  become  of  men  ? 

But  some  one  may  here  object  and  say,  that  it  is  unworthy 
of  God  to  be  angry  with  miserable  creatures,  Avhich  deserve 
no  such  treatment  :  for  why  should  God  be  angry  with 
fishes  and  beasts  ?  But  an  answer  may  be  easily  given  :  As 
beasts,  and  birds,  and  fishes,  and,  in  a  word,  all  other  things, 
have  been  created  for  the  use  of  men,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
God  should  extend  the  tokens  of  his  curse  to  all  creatures. 


144  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  IX. 

above  and  below,  when  his  purpose  is  to  punish  men.  We 
seek,  indeed,  for  the  most  part,  some  vain  comforts  to  delight 
us,  or  to  moderate  our  sorrow,  when  God  shows  himself  angry 
with  us  :  but  when  God  curses  innocent  animals  for  our  sake, 
we  then  dread  the  more,  except,  indeed,  we  be  under  the  in- 
fluence of  extreme  stupor. 

We  now  then  understand  why  God  here  denounces  de- 
struction on  brute  animals  as  well  as  on  birds  and  fishes  of 
the  sea;  it  is,  that  men  may  know  themselves  to  be  deprived 
of  all  his  gifts;  as  when  a  person,  in  order  to  expose  a  wicked 
man  to  shame,  pulls  down  his  house  and  burns  his  whole 
furniture :  so  also  does  God  do,  who  has  adorned  the  world 
with  so  much  and  such  varied  wealth  for  our  sake,  when  he 
reduces  all  things  to  a  waste  :  He  thereby  shows  how  griev- 
ously offended  he  is  with  us,  and  thus  constrains  us  to  become 
humble.     This  then  is  the  Prophet's  meaning. 

PEAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  are  at  this  day  as  guilty  be- 
fore thee  as  the  Israelites  of  old  were,  who  were  so  rebellious 
against  thy  Prophets,  and  that  as  thou  hast  often  tried  sweetly 
to  allure  us  to  thyself  without  any  success,  and  as  we  have  not 
hitherto  ceased,  by  our  continual  obstinacy,  to  provoke  thy 
wrath, — O  grant,  that  being  moved  at  least  by  the  warnings 
thou  givest  us,  we  may  prostrate  ourselves  before  thy  face,  and 
not  wait  until  thou  puttest  forth  thy  hand  to  destroj'  us,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  strive  to  anticipate  thy  judgment ;  and  that  be- 
ing at  the  same  time  surely  convinced  that  thou  art  ready  to 
be  reconciled  to  us  in  Christ,  we  may  flee  to  Him  as  our  Medi- 
ator ;  and  that  relying  on  his  intercession,  we  may  not  doubt 
but  that  thou  art  ready  to  give  us  pai'don,  until  having  at 
length  put  away  aU  sins,  we  come  to  that  blessed  state  of 
gloiy  which  has  been  obtained  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy  Son. 
Amen. 


CHAP.  IV.  4.  C0MMENTAI11E3  ON  HOSEA.  145 


4.  Yet    let  no  man  strive  nor        4.  C£Eterum,  vir  ne  objurget  et 

reprove   another :   for  thy   people  non  corripiat  virum :  quia  populus 

are  as  they  that  strive  with  the  tuns  tanquam  objurgatores  sacer- 

priest.  dotis.^ 

The  Prophet  here  deplores  the  extreme  wickedness  of  the 
people,  that  they  would  bear  no  admonitions,  like  those  who, 
being  past  hope,  reject  every  advice,  admit  no  physicians, 
and  dislike  all  remedies  :  and  it  is  a  proof  of  irreclaimable 
wickedness,  when  men  close  their  ears  and  harden  their  hearts 
against  all  salutary  counsels.  Hence  the  Prophet  intimates, 
that,  together  with  their  great  and  many  corruptions,  there 
was  such  waywardness,  that  no  one  dared  to  reprove  the 
public  vices. 

He  adds  this  reason.  For  the  people  are  as  chiders  of  the 
priest,  or,  they  really  contend  with  the  priest :  for  some  take 
^,  caph,  in  this  place,  not  as  expressive  of  likeness,  but  as 
explaining  and  affirming  what  is  said,  '  They  altogether 
strive  with  the  priest.'  But  I  prefer  the  former  sense,  which 
is,  that  the  Prophet  calls  all  the  people  the  censors  of  their 
pastors  :  and  we  see  that  fro  ward  men  become  thus  insolent 
when  they  are  reproved ;  for  instantly  such  an  objection  as 
this  is  made  by  them,  "  Am  I  to  be  treated  like  a  child  ? 
Have  I  not  attained  sufficient  knowledge  to  understand 
how  I  ought  to  live  ?"  We  daily  meet  with  many  such  men, 
Avho  proudly  boast  of  their  knowledge,  as  though  they  were 
superior  to  all  Prophets  and  teachers.  And  no  doubt  the  un- 
godly make  a  show  of  wit  and  acuteness  in  opposing  sound 
doctrine  :  and  then  it  appears  that  they  have  learnt  more 
than  what  one  would  have  thought, — for  what  end?  only 
that  they  may  contend  with  God. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  Prophet's  Avords.  But,  he  says  : 
*|J^,  ak,  is  not  to  be  taken  here,  as  in  many  places,  for  "verily :" 

^  Amidst  the  variety  of  expositions  given  of  this  clause,  the  one  adopted 
by  Calvin,  and  substantially  in  our  own  version,  is  evidently  the  best. 
Newcomers  version  seems  wide  of  the  mark.  Horsley's  rendering  agrees 
materially  with  our  own  : — '  For  thy  people  are  exactly  like  those  who 
will  contend  with  the  priest.' 

VOL.  I.  K 


146  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  X. 

but  it  denotes  exception,  "  In  the  meantime."  But,  or,  in  the 
meantime,  let  no  one  chide  and  reprove  another.  In  a  word, 
the  Prophet  complains,  that  while  all  kinds  of  wickedness 
abounded  among  the  people,  there  was  no  liberty  to  teach 
and  to  admonish,  but  that  all  were  so  refractory,  that  they 
would  not  bear  to  hear  the  word ;  and  that  as  soon  as  any 
one  touched  their  vices,  there  were  great  doctors,  as  they  say, 
ready  to  reply. 

And  he  enlarges  on  the  subject  by  saying,  that  they  were 
as  chidersofthe  priest;  for  he  declares,  that  they  who,  with  im- 
punity, conducted  themselves  so  wantonly  against  God,  were 
not  yet  content  in  being  so  wayward  as  to  repel  all  reproofs, 
but  also  wilfully  rose  up  against  their  own  teachers  :  and,  as 
I  have  already  said,  common  observation  sufficiently  proves, 
that  all  profane  despisers  of  God  are  inflated  with  such  con- 
fidence, that  they  dare  to  attack  others.  Some  conjecture, 
in  this  instance,  that  the  priest  was  so  base,  as  to  become 
liable  to  universal  reprobation ;  but  this  conjecture  is  of 
no  weight,  and  frigid  :  for  the  Prophet  here  did  not  draw  his 
pen  against  a  single  individual,  but,  on  the  contrary,  sharply 
reproved,  as  we  have  said,  the  perverseness  of  the  people, 
that  no  one  would  hearken  to  a  reprover.  Let  us  then 
know  that  their  diseases  were  then  incurable,  when  the  people 
became  hardened  against  salutary  counsels,  and  could  not 
bear  to  be  any  more  reproved.     It  follows — 

5.  Therefore  shalt  thou  fall  in  the  day,        5.  Et  corrues  interdiu  et 

and  the  Prophet  also  shall  fall  with  thee  coiTuet  etiam  Propheta  te- 

in  the  night,  and  I  will  destroy  thy  mo-  cum  nocte,  et  abolebo  ma- 

ther.  trem  tuam. 

The  copulative  is  to  be  taken  here  for  an  illative,  Fall, 
therefore,  shalt  thou.  Here  God  denounces  vengeance  on  re- 
fractory men;  as  though  he  said,  "As  ye  pay  no  regard  to  my 
authority,  when  by  words  I  reprove  you,  I  will  not  now  deal 
with  you  in  this  way ;  but  I  will  visit  you  for  this  contempt 
of  my  word."  And  thus  God  is  wont  to  do  :  he  first  tries 
men,  or  he  makes  the  trial,  whether  they  can  be  brought  to 
repentance;  he  severely  reproves  them,  and  expostulates  with 
them :  but  having  tried  all  means  by  words,  he  then  comes 
to  the  last  remedy,  by  exercising  his  power ;  for,  as  it  has 


CHAP.  IV.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  147 

been  said,  he  deigns  no  longer  to  contend  with  men.  Hence 
the  Lord,  when  he  saw  that  his  Prophets  were  despised,  and 
that  their  whole  teaching  was  a  matter  of  sport,  determined, 
as  it  appears  from  this  passage,  that  the  people  should  shortly 
be  destroyed. 

Some  render  DVHj  eium,  to-day,  and  think  that  a  short  time 
is  denoted:  but  as  the  Prophet  immediately  subjoins,  And  fall 
together  shall  the  Prophet  with  thee,  Twwi  '*^^j  ^n  the  night,  I 
explain  it  thus, — that  the  people  would  be  destroyed  together, 
and  then  that  the  Prophets,  even  those  who,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, brought  such  vengeance  on  the  people,  would  be  drawn 
also  into  the  same  ruin.  Fall  shalt  thou  then  in  the  day,  and 
fall  in  the  night  shall  the  Prophet,  that  is,  "  The  same  destruc- 
tion shall  at  the  same  time  include  all:  but  if  ruin  should  not 
immediately  take  away  the  Prophets,  they  shall  not  yet 
escape  my  hand ;  they  shall  follow  in  their  turn."  Hence 
the  Prophet  joins  day  and  night  together  in  a  continued  or- 
der; as  though  he  said,  "  I  will  destroy  them  all  from  the  first 
to  the  last,  and  no  one  shall  rescue  himself  from  punishment; 
and  if  they  think  that  those  shall  be  unpunished  who  shall  be 
later  led  to  vengeance,  they  are  mistaken  ;  for  as  the  night 
follows  the  day,  so  also  some  will  draw  others  after  them  into 
the  same  ruin."  Yet  at  the  same  time  the  Prophet,  I  doubt 
not,  means  by  this  metaphor,  the  dag,  that  tranquil  and  joyous 
time  during  which  the  people  indulged  their  pride.  He  then 
means  that  the  punishment  he  predicted  would  be  sudden : 
for  except  the  ungodly  see  the  hand  of  God  near,  they  ever, 
as  it  has  been  observed  before,  laugh  to  scorn  all  threaten- 
ings.  God  then  says  that  he  would  punish  the  people  in  the 
day,  even  at  mid-day,  while  the  sun  was  shining ;  and  that 
when  the  dusk  should  come,  the  Prophets  would  also  follow 
in  their  turn. 

It  is  evident  enough  that  Hosea  speaks  not  here  of  God's 
true  and  faithful  ministers,  but  of  impostors,  who  deceived 
the  people  by  their  blandishments,  as  it  is  usually  the  case  : 
for  as  soon  as  any  Prophet  sincerely  wished  to  discharge  his 
office  for  God,  there  came  forth  flatterers  before  the  public, — 
"  This  man  is  too  rigid,  and  makes  a  wrong  use  of  God's  name, 
by  denouncing   so   grievous  a  punishment;   we  are  God's 


148  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  X. 

people."  Such,  then,  were  the  Prophets,  we  must  remember, 
who  are  here  referred  to ;  for  few  were  those  who  then  faith- 
fully discharged  their  office ;  and  there  was  a  great  number 
of  those  who  were  indulgent  to  the  people  and  to  their  vices. 
It  is  afterwards  added,  /  will  also  consume  thy  mother.  The 
term,  mother,  is  to  be  taken  here  for  the  Church,  on  account 
of  which  the  Israelites,  we  know,  were  wont  to  exult  against 
God ;  as  the  Papists  do  at  this  day,  who  boast  of  their  mo- 
ther church,  which,  as  they  say,  is  their  shield  of  Ajax. 
When  any  one  points  out  their  corruptions,  they  instantly 
flee  to  this  protection, — "  What !  are  we  not  the  Church  of 
God  ?"  Hence  when  the  Prophet  saw  that  the  Israelites  made 
a  wrong  use  of  this  falsely-assumed  title,  he  said,  'I  will  also 
destroy  your  mother,'  that  is,  "This  your  boasting,  and  the  dig- 
nity of  Abraham's  race,  and  the  sacred  name  of  Church,  will 
not  prevent  God  from  taking  dreadful  vengeance  on  you  all ; 
for  he  will  tear  from  the  roots  and  abolish  the  very  name  of 
your  mother;  he  will  disperse  that  smoke  of  which  you  boast, 
inasmuch  as  you  hide  your  crimes  under  the  title  of  Church." 
It  follows — 

6.  My  people  are  destroyed  for  6.  Preriit  (perierunt  ad  verbum:  sed 

lack  of  knowledge  :  because  thou  quia  Qy  est  nomen  coUectivum,  idea 

hast  rejected  knowledge,  I  will  proiniscua  conjimyiturutriqucnumero, 

also  reject  thee,  that  thou  shalt  popnlus  meus  absque  scientia:  quia  tu 

be  no  priest  to  me:  seeing  thou  scientiam repulisti,  etiam repellam  te : 

hast  forgotten    the  law  of  thy  ue  sacerdotio  fungaris  mihi :  et  quia 

God,  I  will  also  forget  thy  chil-  oblitus   es    legis  Dei  tui,  obliviscar 

dren,  filiorum  tuoruin  ego  quoque. 

Here  the  Prophet  distinctly  touches  on  the  idleness  of  the 
priests,  whom  the  Lord,  as  it  is  well  known,  had  set  over  the 
people.  For  though  it  could  not  have  availed  to  excuse  the 
people,  or  to  extenuate  their  fault,  that  the  priests  w^ere 
idle;  yet  the  Prophet  justly  inveighs  against  them  for  not 
having  performed  the  duty  allotted  to  them  by  God.  But 
what  is  said  applies  not  to  the  priests  only ;  for  God,  at  the 
same  time,  indirectly  blames  the  voluntary  blindness  of  the 
people.  For  how  came  it,  that  pure  instruction  prevailed 
not  among  the  Israelites,  except  that  the  people  especially 
Avished  that  it  should  not  ?  Their  ignorance,  then,  as  they 
*ay,  was  gross  ;  as  is  the  case  with  many  ungodly  men  at 


CHAP.  IV.  6.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  ,       149 

this  day,  who  not  only  love  darkness,  but  also  draw  it  around 
them  on  every  side,  that  they  may  have  some  excuse  for  their 
ignorance. 

God  then  does  here,  in  the  first  place,  attack  the  priests, 
but  he  includes  also  the  whole  people;  for  teaching  prevailed 
not,  as  it  ought  to  have  done,  among  them.  The  Lord  also 
reproaches  the  Israelites  for  their  ingratitude  ;  for  he  had 
kindled  among  them  the  light  of  celestial  wisdom  ;  inasmuch 
as  the  law,  as  it  is  well  known,  must  have  been  sufficient  to 
direct  men  in  the  right  way.  It  was  then  as  though  God 
himself  did  shine  forth  from  heaven,  when  he  gave  them  his 
law.  How,  then,  did  the  Israelites  perish  through  ignorance  ? 
Even  because  they  closed  their  eyes  against  the  celestial 
light,  because  they  deigned  not  to  become  teachable,  so  as  to 
learn  the  wisdom  of  the  eternal  Father.  We  hence  see  that 
the  guilt  of  the  people,  as  it  has  been  said,  is  not  here  extenu- 
ated, but  that  God,  on  the  contrary,  complains,  that  they  had 
malignantly  suppressed  the  teaching  of  the  law  :  for  the  law 
was  fit  to  guide  them.  The  people  perished  without  know- 
ledge, because  they  would  perish. 

But  the  Prophet  denounces  vengeance  on  the  priests,  as 
well  as  on  the  whole  people.  Because  knowledge  hast  thou  re- 
jected^ he  says,  I  also  loill  thee  reject^  so  that  the  priesthood  thou 
shalt  not  discharge  for  me.  This  is  specifically  addressed  to 
the  priests  :  the  Lord  accuses  them  of  having  rejected  know- 
ledge. But  knowledge,  as  Malachi  says,  was  to  be  sought 
from  their  lips,  (Mai.  ii.  7 ;)  and  Moses  also  touches  on  the 
same  point  in  Deut.  xxxiii.  10.  It  was  then  an  extreme 
wickedness  in  the  priests,  as  though  they  wished  to  subvert 
God's  sacred  order,  when  they  sought  the  honour  and  the 
dignity  of  the  office  without  the  office  itself:  and  such  is  the 
case  with  the  Papists  of  the  present  day ;  they  are  satisfied 
with  its  dignity  and  its  wealth.  IMitred  bishops  are  prelates, 
are  chief  priests ;  they  vauntingly  boast  that  they  are  the 
heads  of  the  Church,  and  would  be  deemed  equal  with  the 
Apostles:  at  the  same  time,  who  of  them  attends  to  his  office  ? 
nay,  they  tliink  that  it  would  be  in  a  manner  a  disgrace  to 
give  attention  to  their  office  and  to  God's  call. 

We  now  then  see  what  the  Prophet  meant  by  saying,  Ih-^ 


150  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  X. 

cause  thou  hast  knowledge  rejected,  I  also  will  thee  reject,  so  that 
thou  shalt  not  discharge  for  me  the  priesthood.  In  a  word,  he 
shows  that  the  divorce,  which  the  priests  attempted  to 
make,  was  absurd,  and  contrary  to  the  nature  of  things,  that 
it  was  monstrous,  and  in  short  impossible.  Why  ?  Because 
they  wished  to  retain  the  title  and  its  wealth,  they  wished  to 
be  deemed  prelates  of  the  Church,  without  knowledge :  God 
allows  not  things  joined  together  by  a  sacred  knot  to  be  thus 
torn  asunder.  "  Dost  thou  then,"  he  says,  "  take  to  thyself  the 
office  without  knowledge  ?  Nay,  as  thou  hast  rejected  know- 
ledge, I  will  also  take  to  myself  the  honour  of  the  priesthood, 
which  I  previously  conferred  on  thee." 

This  is  a  remarkable  passage,  and  by  it  we  can  check  the 
furious  boasting  of  the  Papists,  when  they  haughtily  force 
upon  us  their  hierarchy  and  the  order,  as  they  call  it,  of  their 
clergy,  that  is,  of  their  corrupt  dregs :  for  God  declares  by 
his  word,  that  it  is  impossible  that  there  should  be  any  priest 
without  knowledge.  And  further,  he  would  not  have  priests 
to  be  endued  with  knowledge  only,  and  to  be  as  it  were 
mute  ;  for  he  would  have  the  treasure  deposited  with  them 
to  be  communicated  to  the  whole  Church.  God  then,  in 
speaking  of  sacerdotal  knowledge,  includes  also  preaching. 
Though  one  indeed  be  a  literate,  as  there  have  been  some  in 
our  age  among  the  bishops  and  cardinals, — though  then  there 
be  such,  he  is  not  yet  to  be  classed  among  the  learned ;  for, 
as  it  has  been  said,  sacerdotal  learning  is  the  treasure  of  the 
whole  Church.  When  therefore  a  boast  is  made  of  the  priest- 
hood, with  no  regard  to  the  ministration  of  the  word,  it  is  a 
mere  mockery;  for  teacher  and  priest  are,  as  they  say,  almost 
convertible  terms.  We  now  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  first 
clause. 

It  then  follows.  Because  thou  hast  forgotten  the  law  of  thy 
God,  I  will  also  forget  thy  children.  Some  confine  this  latter 
clause  to  the  priests,  and  think  that  it  forms  a  part  of  the 
same  context :  but  when  any  one  weighs  more  fully  the  Pro- 
phet's words,  he  will  find  that  this  refers  to  the  body  of  the 
people. 

This  Prophet  is  in  his  sentences  often  concise,  and  so  his 
transitions  are  various  and  obscure  :  now  he  speaks  in  his 


CHAP.  IV.  6.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  151 

own  person,  then  he  assumes  the  person  of  God ;  now  he 
turns  his  discourse  to  the  people,  then  he  speaks  in  the  third 
person  ;  now  he  reproves  the  priests,  then  immediately  he 
addresses  the  whole  people.  There  seemed  to  be  first  a  com- 
mon denunciation,  '  Thou  shalt  fall  in  the  day,  the  Prophet 
in  the  night  shall  follow,  and  your  mother  shall  perish.'  The 
Prophet  now,  I  doubt  not,  confirms  the  same  judgment  in 
other  words  :  and,  in  the  first  place,  he  advances  this  propo- 
sition, that  the  priests  were  idle,  and  that  the  people  quenched 
the  light  of  celestial  instruction ;  afterwards  he  denounces  on 
the  priests  the  judgment  they  deserved,  'I  will  cast  thee 
away,'  he  says,  '  from  the  priesthood  ;'  now  he  comes  to  all 
the  Israelites,  and  says,  Thou  hast  forgotten  the  laio  of  thy 
God,  I  will  also  forget  thy  children.  Now  this  fault  was 
doubtless  what  belonged  to  the  whole  people  ;  there  was  no 
one  exempt  from  this  sin  ;  and  this  forgetfulness  was  fitly 
ascribed  to  the  whole  people.  For  how  it  happened,  that 
the  priests  had  carelessly  shaken  off  from  their  shoulders  the 
burden  of  teaching  the  people  ?  Even  because  the  people 
were  unwilling  to  have  their  ears  annoyed  :  for  the  ungodly 
complain  that  God's  servants  are  troublesome,  when  they 
daily  cry  against  their  vices.  Hence  the  people  gladly 
entered  into  a  truce  v^ith  their  teachers,  that  they  might 
not  perform  their  oflfice  :  thus  the  oblivion  of  God's  law 
crept  in. 

As  then  the  Prophet  had  denounced  on  the  priests  their 
punishment,  so  he  now  assures  the  whole  people  that  God 
would  bring  a  dreadful  judgment  on  them  all,  that  he  would 
even  blot  out  the  whole  race  of  Abraham,  /  will  forget,  he 
says,  thy  children.  Why  was  this  ?  The  Lord  had  made  a 
covenant  with  Abraham,  which  was  to  continue,  and  to  be 
confirmed  to  his  posterity  :  they  departed  from  the  true 
faith,  they  became  spurious  children  ;  then  God  rightly  tes- 
tifies here,  that  he  had  a  just  cause  why  he  should  no  longer 
count  this  degenerate  people  among  the  children  of  Abraham. 
How  so  ?  "  For  ye  have  forgotten  my  law,"  he  says :  "  had 
you  remembered  the  law,  I  would  also  have  kept  my  cove- 
nant with  you  :  but  I  will  no  more  remember  my  covenant, 
for  you  have  violated  it.     Your  children,  therefore,  deserve 


152  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHET8.  LECT.  X. 

not  to  be  under  such  a  covenant,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  Buch  a 
people."     It  follows — 

7.  As  they  were  increased,  so  7.  Secundum  multiplicari  eorum, 
they  sinned  against  me  :  therefore  sic  peccaverunt  mihi :  gloriam  eorum 
will  I  change  theii-  glory  into  shame,     in  ignominiam  mutabo. 

Here  the  Prophet  amplifies  the  wickedness  and  impiety 
of  the  people,  by  adding  this  circumstance,  that  they  the 
more  perversely  wantoned  against  God,  the  more  bountiful 
he  was  to  them,  yea,  when  he  pom-ed  upon  them  riches  in 
full  exuberance.  Such  a  complaint  we  have  before  noticed  : 
but  the  Prophets,  we  know,  did  not  speak  only  once  of  the 
same  thing  ;  when  they  saw  that  they  effected  nothing,  that 
the  contempt  of  God  still  prevailed,  they  found  it  necessary 
to  repeat  often  what  they  had  previously  said.  Here  then 
the  Prophet  accuses  the  Israelites  of  having  shamefully 
abused  the  indulgence  of  God,  of  having  allowed  themselves 
greater  liberty  in  sinning,  when  God  so  kindly  and  liberally 
dealt  with  them. 

Some  confine  this  to  the  priests,  and  think  the  meaning  to 
be,  that  they  sinned  more  against  God  since  he  increased  the 
Levitical  tribe  and  added  to  their  wealth  :  but  the  Prophet, 
I  doubt  not,  meant  to  include  the  whole  people.  He,  indeed, 
in  the  last  verse,  separated  the  crimes  of  the  priests  from 
those  of  the  people,  though  in  the  beginning  he  advanced  a 
general  proposition :  he  now  returns  to  that  statement, 
which  is,  that  all,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  acted  im- 
piously and  wickedly  against  God.  Now  we  know  that  the 
Israelites  had  increased  in  number  as  well  as  in  wealth ;  for 
they  were  prosperous,  as  it  has  been  stated,  under  the  second 
Jeroboam  ;  and  thought  themselves  then  extremely  happy,  be- 
cause they  were  filled  with  every  abundance.  Hence  God  shows 
now  that  they  had  become  worse  and  less  excusable,  for  they 
were  grown  thus  wanton,  like  a  horse  Avell-fed,  when  he  kicks 
against  his  own  master, — a  comparison  which  even  Moses 
uses  in  his  song,  (Deut.  xxxii.  19.)  We  now  see  what  the 
Prophet  means.  Hence,  when  he  says,  DIl1123j  curubem,  ac- 
cording to  their  multiplying,  I  explain  this  not  simply  of  men 
nor  of  wealth,  but  of  every  kind  of  blessing :  for  the  Lord 
here,  in  a  word,  accuses  the  people  of  ingratitude,  because 


CHAP.  IV.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  153 

the  more  kind  and  liberal  he  was  to  them,  the  more  obsti- 
nately bent  they  Avere  on  sinning. 

He  afterwards  subjoins,  Their  glory  will  I  turn  to  shame. 
He  here  denounces  God's  judgment  on  proud  men,  which 
they  feared  not :  for  men,  we  know,  are  blinded  by  prosper- 
ity. And  it  is  the  worst  kind  of  drunkenness,  when  we  seem 
to  ourselves  to  be  happy ;  for  then  we  allow  ourselves  every 
thing  that  is  contrary  to  God,  and  are  deaf  to  all  instruction, 
and  are,  in  short,  wholly  intractable.  But  the  Prophet  says, 
I  will  commute  this  glory  into  shame,  which  means,  "  There  is 
no  reason  for  thera  to  trust  in  themselves,  and  foolishly  to 
impose  on  themselves,  by  fixing  their  eyes  on  their  present 
splendour;  for  it  is  in  my  power,"  the  Lord  says,  "  to  change 
their  glory."  We  then  see  that  the  Prophet  meant  here  to 
shake  off  from  the  Israelites  their  vain  confidence ;  for  they 
were  wont  to  set  up  against  God  their  riches,  their  glory, 
their  power,  their  horses  and  chariots.  "  This  is  your  glory- 
ing; but  in  my  hand  and  power  is  adversity  and  prosperity ; 
yea,"  the  Lord  says,  "  on  me  alone  depends  the  changing  of 
glory  into  shame."  But  at  the  same  time,  the  Prophet  inti- 
mates, that  it  could  not  be  that  God  would  thus  prostitute 
his  blessings  to  imworthy  men  as  to  swine :  for  it  is  a  kind 
of  profanation,  when  men  are  thus  proud  against  God,  while 
he  bears  with  them,  while  he  spares  them.  This  commina- 
tion  then  applies  to  all  who  abuse  God's  kindness ;  for  the 
Lord  intends  not  that  his  favour  should  be  thus  profaned. 
It  follows — 

8.  They  eat  up  the  sin  of  my  8.  Peccatiim  populi  mei  comedent  et 
people,  and  they  set  their  heart  ad  iuiquitatem  oorum  tollent  anlmam 
on  their  iniquity.  ejus,  {adverhum, levabunt  animani  ejus.) 

This  verse  has  given  occasion  to  many  interpreters  to  tliink 
that  all  the  particulars  we  have  noticed  ought  to  be  restricted 
to  the  priests  alone  :  but  there  is  no  suflScient  reason  for  this. 
We  have  already  said,  that  the  Prophet  is  wont  frequently 
to  pass  from  the  people  to  the  priests  :  but  as  a  heavier  guilt 
belonged  to  the  [)riests,  he  very  often  inveighs  against  them, 
as  he  does  in  this  place,  They  eat,  he  says,  the  sin  of  my 
people,  and  lift  up  to  their  iniquity  his  soul,  that  is,  '  every  one 
lifts  up  his  own  soul,'  or,  'they  lift  up  the  soul  of  the  sinner 


154  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  X. 

by  iniquity ;'  for  the  pronoun  applies  to  the  priests  as  well  as 
to  the  people.  The  number  is  changed :  for  he  says,  "l/^J'}"', 
iaca.lu,  and  IXtJ'N  i^hau,^  in  the  plural  number,  They  will  eat 
the  sin,  and  ivill  Itft  up,  &c.,  in  the  third  person ;  and  then, 
his  soul;  it  may  be,  their  own;  it  is,  however,  a  pronoun  in. 
the  singular  number :  hence  a  change  of  number  is  necessary. 
We  are  then  at  liberty  to  choose,^  whether  the  Prophet  says 
this  of  the  people  or  of  the  priests  :  and  as  we  have  said,  it 
may  apply  to  both,  but  in  a  different  sense. 

We  may  understand  him  as  saying,  that  the  priests  lifted 
up  their  souls  to  the  iniquity  of  the  people,  because  they 
anxiously  wished  the  people  to  be  given  to  many  vices,  for 
they  hoped  thereby  to  gain  much  prey,  as  the  case  is,  when 
any  one  expects  a  reward  from  robbers  :  he  is  glad  to  hear 
that  they  become  rich,  for  he  considers  their  riches  to  be  for 
his  gain.  So  it  was  with  the  priests,  who  gaped  for  lucre  ; 
they  thought  that  they  were  going  on  well,  when  the  people 
brought  many  sacrifices.  And  this  is  usually  the  case,  when 
the  doctrine  of  the  law  is  adulterated,  and  when  the  ungodly 
think  that  this  alone  remains  for  them, — to  satisfy  God  with 
sacrifices,  and  similar  expiations.  Then,  if  we  apply  the  pass- 
age to  the  priests,  the  lifting  up  of  the  soul  is  the  lust  for 
gain.  But  if  we  prefer  to  apply  the  words  to  sinners  them- 
selves, the  sense  is,  '  Upon  their  iniquity  they  lift  up  their 
soul,'  that  is,  the  guilty  raise  up  themselves  by  false  comforts, 
and  extenuate  their  vices ;  or,  by  their  own  flatteries,  bury 

^  These  verbs  are  iu  the  future  tense;  but  the  future  in  Hebrew  is 
often  used,  as  Calvin  says  in  another  place,  to  express  a  continued  act, 
or  an  liabitual  practice. 

2  This  choice  can  hardly  be  conceded.  '  People,'  iu  Hebrew,  is  in  the 
singular  number,  and  the  pronouns  referring  to  people  are  commonly  put 
in  the  same  number  ;  but  not  so  in  our  language.  '  His'  here  evidently 
belongs  to  the  people,  and  not  to  the  priests,  and  ought  to  be  rendered 
'  their,'  as  in  our  version.  The  verse  literallj^  translated  is  as  follows, 
only  the  future  is  taken  for  the  pi^esent  tense  : — 

'  The  sin  of  my  people  they  eat. 
And  to  tlieir  (own)  iniquity  they  raise  up  their  heart.' 

To  render  '  sin,'  A?,Newcome  and  Horsley  do,  '  sin-otFerings,'  is  to  destroy 
,  the  whole  force  of  the  passage.  The  meaning  is,  that  the  priests  fed  or 
lived  on  the  sin  of  the  people,  that  through  the  superstition  of  the  people 
they  gained  their  living.  And  '  iniquity '  means,  no  doubt,  idolatry,  to 
which  the  priests  raised  up  the  people's  heart,  or  attached  them. — Er/. 


CHAP.  IV.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  155 

and  entirely  smother  every  remnant  of  God's  fear.  Then, 
according  to  this  second  sense,  to  lift  up  the  soul  is  to  de- 
ceive, and  to  take  away  all  doubts  by  vain  comforts,  or  to 
remove  every  sorrow,  and  to  erase  every  guilt  by  a  false 
notion. 

I  come  now  to  the  meanino:  of  the  whole.  Though  the 
Prophet  here  accuses  the  priests,  yet  he  involves,  no  doubt, 
the  whole  people,  and  deservedly,  in  the  same  guilt :  for  how 
was  it  that  the  priests  expected  gain  from  sacrifices  ?  Even 
because  the  doctrine  of  the  law  was  subverted.  God  had 
instituted  sacrifices  for  this  end,  that  whosoever  sinned,  being 
reminded  of  his  guilt,  might  mourn  for  his  sin,  and  further, 
that  by  witnessing  that  sad  spectacle,  his  conscience  might 
be  more  wounded  :  when  he  saw  the  innocent  animal  slain  at 
the  altar,  he  ought  to  have  dreaded  God's  judgment.  Be- 
sides, God  also  intended  to  exercise  the  faith  of  all,  in  order 
that  they  might  flee  to  the  expiation  which  was  to  be  made 
by  the  promised  Mediator.  And  at  the  same  time,  the 
penalty  which  God  then  laid  on  sinners,  ought  to  have  been 
as  a  bridle  to  restrain  them.  In  a  word,  the  sacrifices  had, 
in  every  way,  this  as  their  object, — to  keep  the  people  from 
being  so  ready  or  so  prone  to  sin.  But  what  did  the  ungodly 
do  ?  they  even  mocked  God,  and  thought  that  they  had  fully 
done  their  duty,  when  they  offered  an  ox  or  a  lamb  ;  and 
afterwards  they  freely  indulged  themselves  in  their  sins. 

So  gross  a  folly  has  been  even  laughed  to  scorn  by  heathen 
writers.  Even  Plato  has  so  spoken  of  such  sacrifices,  as  to 
show  that  those  who  Avould  by  such  trifles  make  a  bargain 
with  God,  are  altogether  ungodly :  and  certainly  he  so  speaks 
in  his  second  book  on  the  Commonwealth,  as  though  he  meant 
to  describe  the  Papacy.  For  he  speaks  of  purgatory,  he 
speaks  of  satisfactions ;  and  every  thing  the  Papists  of  this 
day  bring  forward,  Plato  in  that  book  distinctly  sets  forth  as 
being  altogether  sottish  and  absurd.  But  yet  in  all  ages  this 
assurance  has  prevailed,  that  men  have  thought  themselves 
delivered  from  God's  hand,  when  they  offered  some  sacrifice  : 
it  is,  as  they  imagine,  a  compensation. 

Hence  the  Prophet  now  complains  of  this  perversion,  They 
eat,  he  says,  (for  he  speaks  of  a  continued  act,)  the  xius  of  my 


156  THE  TAVKLVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.  LECT.  X. 

people,  and  to  iniquity  they  lift  up  the  heart  of  each ;  that  is, 
When  all  sin,  one  after  the  other,  each  one  is  readily  absolved, 
because  he  brings  a  gift  to  the  priests.  It  is  the  same  thing 
as  though  the  Prophet  said,  "  There  is  a  collusion  between 
them,  between  the  priests  and  the  people."  How  so  ?  Be- 
cause the  priests  Avere  the  associates  of  robbers,  and  gladly 
seized  on  what  was  brought :  and  so  they  carried  on  no  war, 
as  they  ought  to  have  done,  with  vices,  but  on  the  contrary 
urged  only  the  necessity  of  sacrifices :  and  it  was  enough,  if 
men  brought  things  plentifully  to  the  temple.  The  people 
also  themselves  showed  their  contempt  of  God;  for  they  ima- 
gined, that  provided  they  made  satisfaction  by  their  ceremo- 
nial performances,  they  w'ould  be  exempt  from  punishment. 
Thus  then  there  was  an  ungodly  compact  between  the  priests 
and  the  people  :  the  Lord  was  mocked  in  the  midst  of  them. 
We  now  then  understand  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet : 
and  thus  I  prefer  the  latter  exposition  as  to  '  the  lifting  up  of 
the  soul,'  which  is,  that  the  priests  lifted  up  the  soul  of  each, 
by  relieving  their  consciences,  by  soothing  words  of  flattery, 
and  by  promising  life,  as  Ezekiel  says,  to  souls  doomed  to  die, 
(Ezek.  xiii.  19.)     It  now  follows — 

9.  And  there  shall  be  like  peo-  9.  Et  erit,  siciit  populns  sic  erit  sa- 
ple,   like  priest :   and  I  will  pun-  cerdos :  et  visitabo  super  eum  vias 
ish  them  for  their  waj^s,  and  reward  ejus  et  opera  ejus  rependani  ei. 
them  their  doings. 

10.  For  they  shall  eat  and  not  10.  Comedent  enim  et  non  satura- 
have  enough  :  they  shall  commit  buntur,  scortabuutur  et  non  auges- 
whoredom  and  shall  not  increase  :  cent  {vel^  crescent,  id  est,  non  pi'o- 
because  they  have  left  off  to  take  pagabuntur ;)  qiua  Jehovam  reli- 
heed  to  the  Lord.  querunt  ad  servandum   (lioc    est, 

dereliqueruut  Deum,  nc  ipsum  ob- 
serveut.) 

The  Prophet  here  again  denounces  on  both  a  common 
punishment,  as  neither  was  free  from  guilt.  As  the  people,  he 
says,  so  shall  he  the  priest ;  that  is,  "I  Avill  spare  neither  the 
one  nor  the  other  ;  tor  the  priest  has  abused  the  honour  con- 
ferred on  him;  for  though  divinely  appointed  over  the  Church 
for  this  purpose,  to  preserve  the  people  in  piety  and  holy  life, 
he  has  yet  broken  through  and  violated  every  right  principle: 
and  then  the  people  themselves  wished  to  have  such  teach- 
ers, that  is,  such  as  were  mute.     I  will  therefore  now,"  the 


CHAP.  IV.  9,  10.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  157 

Lord  says,  "  inflict  punishment  on  tliem  all  alike.     As  the 
people  then,  so  shall  the  priest  be." 

Some  go  farther,  and  say,  that  it  means  that  God  would 
rob  the  priests  of  their  honour,  that  they  might  differ  nothing 
from  the  people ;  which  is  indeed  true  :  but  then  they  think 
that  the  Prophet  threatens  not  others  as  well  as  the  priests ; 
which  is  not  true.  For  though  God,  when  he  punishes  the 
priests  and  the  people  for  the  contempt  of  his  law,  blots  out 
the  honour  of  the  priesthood,  and  so  abolishes  it  as  to  pro- 
duce an  equality  between  the  great  and  the  despised ;  yet 
the  Prophet  declares  here,  no  doubt,  that  God  would  become 
the  vindicator  of  his  law  against  other  sinners  as  well  as 
against  the  priests.  This  subject  expands  wider  than  what 
they  mean.     The  rest  we  must  defer  till  to-morrow. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that,  since  thou  hast  hitherto  so  kindly  in- 
vited lis  to  thyself,  and  daily  invitest  us,  and  often  intei-posest 
also  thy  threatenings  to  rouse  our  inattention,  and  since  we 
have  been  inattentive  to  thy  reproofs,  as  well  as  to  thy  pater- 
nal kindness, — O  grant,  that  we  may  not,  to  the  last,  proceed 
in  this  om-  wickedness,  and  thus  provoke  the  vengeance  thou 
here  denouncest  on  men  past  recovery ;  but  that  we  may  an- 
ticipate thy  wrath  by  true  repentance,  and  be  humbled  under 
thy  hand,  yea,  by  thy  word,  that  thou  mayest  receive  U3 
into  favour,  and  nourish  us  in  thy  paternal  bosom,  through 
Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


lecture  lEleUnti). 

One  thing  escaped  me  in  yesterday's  lecture,  on  which  I 
shall  now  briefly  touch.  It  may  be  asked  why  the  Prophet 
says,  that  the  priest  was  to  be  robbed  of  his  honour,  who  was 
not  a  true  nor  a  legitimate  priest ;  for  there  was  among  the 
Israelites,  we  know,  no  temple  in  which  God  was  rightly 
worshipped.  For  though  it  was  customary  with  them  to 
profess  the  name  of  the  true  God,  yet  we  are  aware  that  all 
their  pretences  were  vain.  Since  the  Lord  had  chosen  one  ^ 
sanctuary  only  at  Jerusalem,  it  hence  follows,  that  all  the 
priests  among  the  people  of  Israel  were  false.     It  could  not 


158  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

then  be  that  God  had  taken  from  them  their  honour.  But 
it  is  nothing  new  for  God  to  punish  the  ungodly,  by  taking 
from  them  what  they  seem  to  possess. 

The  case  is  the  same  this  day  as  to  the  Papacy ;  for  they 
who  vaunt  themselves  as  being  clergy  and  priests  are  mere 
apes  {merce  larvae. ;)  as,  however,  they  retain  the  title,  what 
the  Prophet  threatened  to  the  false  priests  of  his  age  may  be 
justly  said  to  them,  that  their  shame  shall  be  made  manifest, 
so  that  they  shall  cease  to  boast  of  their  dignity,  by  which 
they  now  deceive  the  simple  and  ignorant. 

We  now  then  understand  the  Prophet's  meaning  :  his 
meaning  is  the  same  as  when  he  said  before,  "  I  will  draw 
thee  to  the  desert,  and  then  the  ephod  shall  cease,  and  the 
teraphim  shall  cease."  There  was,  we  know,  no  ephod  which 
the  Lord  approved,  except  that  alone  which  the  legitimate 
priest  did  wear :  but  as  there  was  emulation  between  the  Is- 
raelites and  the  Jews,  and  as  they  who  had  departed  from 
the  true  and  pure  worship  of  God,  did  yet  boast  that  they 
worshipped  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  Lord  here  declares, 
that  he  would  not  suffer  them  to  lurk  under  such  masks. 

I  now  return  to  that  passage  of  the  Prophet,  in  which  he 
says.  They  shall  eat  and  shall  not  he  satisfied^  and  again.  They 
shall  play  the  wanton  and  shall  not  increase  ;  because  Jehovah 
have  they  left  off  to  attend  to.  The  Prophet  here  again  pro- 
claims the  judgment  which  was  nigh  the  Israelites.  And 
first,  he  says.  They  shall  eat  and  shall  not  be  satisfied;  in 
which  he  alludes  to  the  last  verse.  For  the  priests  gaped 
for  gain,  and  their  only  care  was  to  satisfy  their  appetites. 
Since  then  their  cupidity  was  insatiable,  which  was  also  the 
cause  why  they  conceded  sinful  liberty  to  the  people,  he  now 
says.  They  shall  eat  and  shall  not  be  satisfied.  The  Prophet 
intimates  further  by  these  words,  that  men  are  not  sustained 
by  plenty  or  abundance  of  provisions,  but  rather  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God ;  for  a  person  may  devour  much,  yet  the  quan- 
tity, however  large,  may  not  satisfy  him  ;  and  this  we  find  to 
be  often  the  case  as  to  a  voracious  appetite ;  for  in  such  an 
instance,  the  staff  of  bread  is  broken,  that  is,  the  Lord  takes 
away  support  from  bread,  so  that  much  eating  does  not  sa- 
tisfy.    And  this  is  the  Prophet's  meaning,  when  he  says, 


CHAr.  IV.  9,  10.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  159 

They  shall  eat  and  shall  not  be  satisfied.  The  priests  thought 
it  a  happy  time  with  them,  when  they  gathered  great  booty 
from  every  quarter ;  God  on  the  contrary  declares,  that  it 
would  be  empty  and  useless  to  them  ;  for  no  satisfying  effect 
would  follow:  however  much  they  might  greedily  swallow 
up,  they  would  not  yet  be  satisfied. 

He  afterwards  adds.  They  shall  play  the  ivanton  and  shall 
not  increase ;  that  is,  "  However  much  they  might  give  the 
reins  to  promiscuous  lusts,  I  will  not  yet  suffer  them  to  pro- 
pagate :  so  far  shall  they  be  from  increasing  or  generating 
an  offspring  by  lawful  marriages,  that  were  they  everywhere 
to  indulge  in  illicit  intercourse,  they  would  still  continue 
barren."  The  Prophet  here,  in  a  word,  testifies  that  the  un- 
godly are  deceived,  when  they  think  that  they  can  obtain 
their  wishes  by  wicked  and  unlawful  means ;  for  the  Lord 
will  frustrate  their  desires.  The  avaricious  think,  when  they 
have  much,  that  they  are  sufficiently  defended  against  all 
want ;  and  when  penury  presses  on  all  others,  they  think 
themselves  beyond  the  reach  of  danger.  But  the  Lord  de- 
rides this  folly  :  "  Gather,  gather  great  heaps  ;  but  I  will  blow 
on  your  riches,  that  they  may  vanish,  or  at  least  yield  you 
no  advantage.  So  also  strive  to  beget  children  ;  though  one 
may  marry  ten  wives,  or  everywhere  play  the  wanton,  he 
shall  still  remain  childless."  Thus  we  see  that  a  just  punish- 
ment is  inflicted  on  profane  men,  when  they  indulge  their 
own  lusts  :  they  indeed  promise  to  themselves  a  happy  issue ; 
but  God,  on  the  other  hand,  pronounces  upon  them  his 
curse. 

He  then  adds.  They  ham  left  Jehovah  to  attend,  that  is, 
that  they  may  not  attend  or  serve  him.  Here  the  Prophet 
points  out  the  source  and  the  chief  cause  of  all  evils,  and 
that  is,  because  the  Israelites  had  forsaken  the  true  God  and 
his  worship.  Though  they  indeed  retained  the  name  of  God, 
and  were  wont,  even  boldly,  to  set  up  this  plea  against  the 
Prophets,  that  they  were  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  the 
chosen  of  the  supreme  God,  he  yet  says,  that  they  were 
apostates.  How  so  ?  Because  whosoever  keeps  faith  with 
God,  keeps  himself  also  under  the  tuition  of  his  word,  and 
wanders  not  after  his  own  inventions  ;  but  the  Israelites  in- 


IGO  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

dulged  themselves  in  any  thing  they  pleased.  Since  then 
it  is  certain  that  they  had  shaken  off  the  yoke  of  the  law,  it 
is  no  wonder  that  the  Prophet  says,  that  they  had  departed 
from  the  Lord.  But  we  ouglit  to  notice  the  confirmation  of 
this  truth,  that  no  one  can  continue  to  keep  faith  with  God, 
except  he  observes  his  word  and  remains  under  its  tuition. 
Let  us  now  proceed — 

11.  Whoredom  and  wine  and  11.  Scortatio  et  vinum  et  mustum  aufe- 
new  wine  take  away  the  heart,     rent  cor  (alii  vertunt,  occupant  cor.) 

The  verb  np7j  hhech,  means  to  take  away  ;  and  this  sense 
is  also  admissible,  that  wine  and  wantonness  take  possession 
of  the  heart ;  but  I  take  its  simpler  meaning,  to  take  away. 
But  it  is  not  a  general  truth  as  most  imagine,  who  regard  it 
a  proverbial  saying,  that  wantonness  and  wine  deprive  men 
of  their  right  mind  and  understanding  :  on  the  contrary,  it  is 
to  be  restricted,  I  doubt  not,  to  the  Israelites ;  as  though  the 
Prophet  had  said,  that  they  were  without  a  right  mind,  and 
like  brute  animals,  because  drunkenness  and  fornication  had 
infatuated  or  fascinated  them.  But  we  may  take  both  in  a 
metaphorical  sense  ;  as  fornication  may  be  superstition,  and 
80  also  drunkenness  :  yet  it  seems  more  suitable  to  the  con- 
text to  consider,  that  the  Prophet  here  reproaches  the  Israel- 
ites for  having  petulantly  cast  aside  every  instruction  through 
being  too  much  given  to  their  pleasures  and  too  much  cloyed. 
Since  then  the  Israelites  had  been  enriched  with  great  plenty, 
and  had  given  way  to  abominable  indulgences,  the  Prophet 
says,  that  they  were  without  sense :  and  this  is  commonly 
the  case  with  such  men.  I  will  not  therefore  treat  here  more 
at  large  of  drunkenness  and  fornication. 

It  is  indeed  true,  that  when  any  one  becomes  addicted  to 
wantonness,  he  loses  both  modesty  and  a  right  mind,  and  also 
that  wine  is  as  it  were  poisonous,  for  it  is,  as  one  has  said,  a 
mixed  poison  :  and  the  earth,  when  it  sees  its  own  blood 
drank  up  intemperately,  takes  its  revenge  on  men.  These 
things  are  true  ;  but  let  us  see  what  the  Prophet  meant. 

Now,  as  I  have  said,  he  simply  directs  his  discourse  to  the 
Israelites,  and  says,  that   they  were  sottish   and  senseless, 


CHAP.  IV.  12.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  161 

because  the  Lord  had  dealt  too  liberally  with  them.  For,  as 
I  have  said,  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was  then  very  opulent,  and 
full  of  all  kinds  of  luxury.  The  Prophet  then  touches  now 
distinctly  on  this  very  thing :  "  How  comes  it  that  ye  are 
now  so  senseless,  that  there  is  not  a  particle  of  right  under- 
standing among  you  ?  Even  because  ye  are  given  to  excesses, 
because  there  is  among  you  too  large  an  abundance  of  all 
good  things :  hence  it  is,  that  all  indulge  their  own  lusts ; 
and  these  take  away  your  heart."  In  short,  God  means  here 
that  the  Israelites  abused  his  blessings,  and  that  excesses 
blinded  them.     This  is  the  meaning.     Let  us  now  go  on — 

12.  My  people  ask  coun-        12.  Populus  mens  in  ligno  suo  inteiTogat 

sel  at  theii"  stocks,  and  their  (vel^  lignum  suura  consulit)  et  baculus  ejus 

staff  declareth  unto  them ;  respondit  ei  (ad  verbwn^  respondebit ;  seel 

for  the  sph'it  of  whoredoms  significat  actum  continuum  .)   qxiia  spiritus 

hath  caused  them  to  en- ;  fornicationum  decepit,  et  fornicati  sunt  a 

and  they  have  gone  a  whor-  Deo  suo  (a  subtus  Deo  suo,  hoc  est,  ne  amplius 

ing  from  under  their  God.  subjecti  sint  Deo  vel pareant.) 

The  Prophet  calls  here  the  Israelites  the  people  of  God, 
not  to  honour  them,  but  rather  to  increase  their  sin ;  for  the 
more  heinous  was  the  perfidy  of  the  people,  that  having  been 
chosen,  they  had  afterwards  forsaken  their  heavenly  Father. 
Hence  mi/ people :  there  is  here  an  implied  comparison  between 
all  other  nations  and  the  seed  of  Abraham,  whom  God  had 
adopted ;  "  This  is,  forsooth !  the  people  whom  I  designed  to 
be  sacred  to  myself,  whom  of  all  nations  in  the  world  I  have 
taken  to  myself:  they  are  my  heritage.  Now  this  people, 
who  ought  to  be  mine,  consult  their  own  wood,  and  their 
staff  answers  them  !"  We  hence  see  that  it  was  a  grievous 
and  severe  reprobation  when  the  Lord  reminded  them  of  the 
invaluable  kindness  with  which  he  had  favoured  the  children 
of  Abraham. 

So  at  this  day  our  guilt  will  be  more  grievous,  if  we  con- 
tinue not  in  the  pure  worship  of  God,  since  God  has  called 
us  to  himself,  and  designed  us  to  be  his  peculiar  flock.  The 
same  thing  that  the  Prophet  brought  against  the  Israelites 
may  be  also  brought  against  the  Papists  ;  for  as  soon  as 
infants  are  born  among  them,  the  Lord  signs  them  with  the 
sacred  symbol  of  baptism ;  they  are  therefore  in  some  sense 

VOL.  I.  L 


162  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PHOPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

{aliqua  ex  parte)  the  people  of  God.  We  see,  at  the  same 
time,  how  gross  and  abominable  are  the  superstitions  which 
prevail  among  them  :  there  are  none  more  stupid  than  they 
are.  Even  the  Turks  and  the  Saracenes  are  wise  when  com- 
pared with  them.  How  great,  then,  and  how  shameful  is 
this  baseness,  that  the  Papists,  who  boast  themselves  to  be 
the  people  of  God,  should  go  astray  after  their  own  mad 
follies ! 

But  the  Prophet  says  the  Israelites  consulted  their  own 
wood,  or  inquired  of  wood.  He  no  doubt  accuses  them  here 
of  having  transferred  the  glory  of  the  only  true  God  to  their 
own  idols,  or  fictitious  gods.  They  consult,  he  says,  their 
own  wood,  and  the  staff  answers  them.  He  seems,  in  the 
second  clause,  to  allude  to  the  blind  :  as  when  a  blind  man 
asks  his  staff,  so  he  says  the  Israelites  asked  counsel  of  their 
wood  and  staff.  Some  think  that  superstitions  then  practised 
are  here  pointed  out.  The  augurs  we  know  used  a  staff; 
and  it  is  probable  that  diviners  in  the  East  employed  also  a 
staff,  or  some  such  thing,  in  performing  their  incantations.^ 
Others  explain  these  words  allegorically,  as  though  wood  was 
false  religion,  and  staff  the  ungodly  prophets.  But  I  am 
inclined  to  hold  to  simplicity.  It  then  seems  to  me  more  pro- 
bable, that  the  Israelites,  as  I  have  already  stated,  are  here 
condemned  for  consulting  wood  or  dead  idols,  instead  of  the 
only  true  God ;  and  that  it  was  the  same  thing  as  if  a  blind 
man  was  to  ask  counsel  of  his  staff,  though  the  staff  be  with- 
out any  reason  or  sense.  A  staff  is  indeed  useful,  but  for  a 
different  purpose.  And  thus  the  Prophet  not  only  contempt- 
uously, but  also  ironically,  exposes  to  scorn  the  folly  of  those 
who  consult  their  gods  of  wood  and  stone ;  for  to  do  so  will 
no  more  avail  them  than  if  one  had  a  staff  for  his  counsellor. 

He  then  subjoins,  for  the  spirit  of  fornications  has  deceived 
them.     Here  again  the  Prophet  aggravates  their  guilt,  inas- 

1  This  was  probably  similar  to  divination  by  arrows,  mentioned  in 
Ezek.  xxi.  21.  There  is  a  practice  of  this  kind  still  among  the  Arabs, 
as  Adam  Clarke  mentions  in  his  comment  on  this  verse.  They  take 
three  arrows  without  head,  and  write  on  one.  Command  wie,  Lord  •  on  the 
other,  Forbid  rwe.  Lord;  and  the  third  is  left  a  blank.  These  are  put  in  a 
bag,  and  one  is  drawn.  K  the  first  is  di-awn,  they  do  what  they  intend  ; 
if  the  second,  they  abstain  for  a  year ;  if  the  thii'd,  they  draw  again. — 
Ed. 


CHAP.  IT.  Id,  14.         COMAlENTxililES  ON  HOSEA.  163 

much  as  no  common  blame  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the  Israel- 
ites ;  for  they  were,  he  says,  wholly  given  to  fornication* 
The  spirit,  then,  of  fornication  deceived  them :  it  was  the  same 
as  if  one  inflamed  with  lust  ran  headlong  into  evil ;  as  we  see 
to  be  the  case  with  brutal  men  when  carried  away  by  a  blind 
and  shameful  passion ;  for  then  every  distinction  between 
right  and  wrong  disappears  from  their  eyes — no  choice  is 
made,  no  shame  is  felt.  As  then  such  heat  of  lust  is  wont 
sometimes  to  seize  men,  that  they  distinguish  nothing,  so  the 
Prophet  says,  with  the  view  of  shaming  the  people  the  more, 
that  they  were  like  those  given  to  fornication,  who  no  longer 
exercise  any  judgment,  who  are  restrained  by  no  shame. 
The  spirit,  then,  of  fornications  has  deceived  them  :  but  as  this 
similitude  often  meets  us,  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  it. 

They  have  played  the  wanton,  he  says,  that  they  may  not  obey 
the  Lord.  He  does  not  say  simply,  '  from  their  God,'  but 
'  from  under,'  nUri/Dj  mQt2i,chet ;  They  have  then  played  the 
wanton,  that  they  might  no  more  obey  God,  or  continue  under 
his  government.  We  may  hence  learn  what  is  our  spiritual 
chastity,  even  when  God  rules  us  by  his  word,  when  we  go 
not  here  and  there  and  rashly  follow  our  own  superstitions. 
When  we  abide  then  under  the  government  of  our  God,  and 
with  fixed  eyes  look  on  him,  then  we  chastely  preserve  our 
faithfulness  to  him.  But  when  we  follow  idols,  we  then  play 
the  wanton  and  depart  from  God.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

13.  They  sacrifice  upon  the  13.  Super  capita  montium  sacrifica- 
tops  of  the  mouutains,  and  bunt  {id  est,  sacrificant)  et  super  coUes 
burn  incense  upon  the  hills,  adolent  sutfitum,  sub  quercu  et  sub  plan- 
under  oaks  and  poplars  and  ,  ^  ,  ^.,.  ,  ,..^L  rr, 
elms,  because  the  shadow  there-  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^'^  («^"  TVi^  vertunt,  Tere- 
of  is  good :  therefore  your  binthum :  sed  ego  non  laboro,)  quia 
daughters  shall  commit  whore-  bona  umbra  ejns :  propterea  Alias  vestra? 
dom,  and  your  spouses  shall  scortabuntur,  et  nm-us  vestrje  adulteraj 
commit  adultery.  erunt. 

14.  I  will  not  punish  your  14.  Non  visitabo  super  filias  vestras, 
daughters  when  they  commit  quia  scortataj  sint,  et  super  nurus  vestras, 
whoredom,  nor  your  spouses  quia  adultei'ia  commiserint :  nam  ipsi  cum 
when  they  commit  adultery  :  meretricibus  dividunt  se  (separant  se  cum 
for  themselves  are  separated  meretricibus,)  et  cum  scortis  sacrificant : 
with  whores,  and  they  sacri-  et  populus  non  intelligens  (non  intelligit, 
fice  with  harlots :  therefore  ad  verbum ;  sed  debet  verti,  Populus  qui 
(he  people  that  doth  not  under-  non  intelligit))  corruet  (alii  vertnnt,  erit 
stand  shall  fall.  \)erversus,  10!37-) 


1 64  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

The  Prophet  shows  here  more  clearly  what  was  the  forni- 
cation for  which  he  had  before  condemned  the  people, — that 
they  worshipped  God  under  trees  and  on  high  places.  This 
then  is  explanatory,  for  the  Prophet  defines  what  he  before 
understood  by  the  word,  fornication  ;  and  this  explanation 
was  especially  useful,  Hay,  necessary.  For  men,  we  know, 
will  not  easily  give  way,  particularly  when  they  can  adduce 
some  colour  for  their  sins,  as  is  the  case  Avith  the  supersti- 
tious :  when  the  Lord  condemns  their  perverted  and  vicious 
modes  of  worship,  they  instantly  cry  out,  and  boldly  contend 
and  say,  "  What  1  is  this  to  be  counted  fornication,  when  we 
worship  God  ?"  For  whatever  they  do  from  inconsiderate 
zeal  is,  they  think,  free  from  every  blame.  So  the  Papists 
of  this  day  fix  it  as  a  matter  beyond  dispute  that  all  their 
modes  of  worship  are  approved  by  God :  for  though  nothing 
is  grounded  on  his  word,  yet  good  intention  (as  they  say)  is 
to  them  more  than  a  sufficient  excuse.  Hence  they  dare 
proudly  to  clamour  against  God,  whenever  he  condemns  their 
corruptions  and  abuses.  Such  presumption  has  doubtless 
prevailed  from  the  beginning. 

The  Prophet,  therefore,  deemed  it  needful  openly  and  dis- 
tinctly to  show  to  the  Israelites,  that  though  they  thought  them- 
selves to  be  worshipping  God  with  pious  zeal  and  good  intention, 
they  were  yet  committing  fornication.  "  It  is  fornication,"  he 
says,  *' when  ye  sacrifice  under  trees."  "What!  has  it  not  ever 
been  a  commendable  service  to  offer  sacrifices  and  to  burn 
incense  to  God  ?  Such  being  the  design  of  the  Israelites, 
what  was  the  reason  that  God  was  so  angry  with  them  ? 
We  may  suppose  them  to  have  fallen  into  a  mistake ;  yet 
why  did  not  God  bear  with  this  foolish  intention,  when  it 
was  covered,  as  it  has  been  stated,  with  honest  and  specious 
zeal  ?"  But  God  here  sharply  reproves  the  Israelites,  however 
much  they  pretended  a  great  zeal,  and  however  much  they 
covered  their  superstitions  with  the  false  title  of  God's  wor- 
ship :  "  It  is  nothing  else,"  he  says,  "  but  fornication." 

On  tops  of  mountains,  he  says,  they  sacrifice,  and  on  hills  they 
burn  incense,  under  the  oak  and  the  poplar  and  the  teil-tree,  Sfc. 
It  seemed  apparently  a  laudable  thing  in  the  Israelites  to  build 
altars  in  many  places ;  for  frequent  attendance  at  the  tern- 


CHAP.  IV.  13,  14.       COMMENTARIES  ON  H08EA.  165 

pies  might  have  stirred  them  up  the  more  in  God's  worship. 
Such  is  the  plea  of  the  Papists  for  filling  their  temples  with 
pictures ;  they  say,  "  We  are  everywhere  reminded  of  God 
wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  ;  and  this  is  very  profitable."     So 
also  it  might  have  seemed  to  the  Israelites  a  pious  work,  to 
set  up  God's  worship  on  hiUs  and  on  tops  of  mountains,  and 
under  every  tall  tree.     But  God  repudiated  the  whole  ;  he 
would  not  be  in  this  manner  worshipped  :  nay,  we  see  that 
he  was  grievously  displeased.    He  says,  that  the  faith  pledged 
to  him  was  thus  violated ;  he  says,  that  the  people  basely 
committed  fornication.     Though  the  Prophet's  doctrine  is  at 
this  day  by  no  means  plausible  in  the  world,  so  that  hardly  one 
in  ten  embraces  it ;  we  shall  yet  contend  in  vain  with  the  Spirit 
of  God :  nothing  then  is  better  than  to  hear  our  judge ;  and  he 
pronounces   all   fictitious  modes  of  worship,  however  much 
adorned  by  a  specious  guise,  to  be  adulteries  and  whoredoms. 
And  we  hence  learn  that  good  intention,  with  which  the 
Papists  so  much  please  themselves,  is  the  mother  of  all  wan- 
tonness and  of  all  filthiness.     How  so  ?     Because  it  is  a  high 
offence  against  heaven  to  depart  from  the  word  of  the  Lord : 
for  God  had  commanded  sacrifices  and  incense  to  be  nowhere 
offered  to  him  but  at  Jerusalem.     The  Israelites  transgressed 
this  command.     But  obedience  to  God,  as  it  is  said  in  1  Sam. 
XV.,  is  of  more  value  with  him  than  all  sacrifices. 

The  Prophet  also  distinctly  excludes  a  device  in  which  the 
ungodly  and  hypocrites  take  great  delight :  good,  he  says, 
was  its  shade;  that  is,  they  pleased  themselves  with  such 
devices.  So  Paul  says  that  there  is  a  show  of  wisdom  in  the 
inventions  and  ordinances  of  men,  (Col.  ii.  23.)  Hence, 
when  men  undertake  voluntary  acts  of  worship, — which  the 
Greeks  call  sSsXo^gjjtrxs/as,  superstitions,  being  nothing  else 
than  will-worship, — when  men  undertake  this  or  that  to  do 
honour  to  God,  there  appears  to  them  a  show  of  wisdom, 
but  before  God  it  is  abomination  only.  At  this  practice  the 
Prophet  evidently  glances,  when  he  says  that  the  shade  of 
the  poplar,  or  of  the  oak,  or  of  teil-tree,  was  good;  for  the 
ungodly  and  the  hypocrites  imagined  their  worship  to  be 
approved  of  God,  and  that  they  surpassed  the  Jews,  who 
worshipped  God  only  in   one  place  :  "  Our  land  is  full  of 


166  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

altars,  and  memorials  of  God  present  themselves  everywhere." 
But  when  they  thought  that  they  had  gained  the  highest 
glory  by  their  many  altars,  the  Prophet  says,  that  the  shade 
indeed  was  good,  but  that  it  only  pleased  wantons,  who 
would  not  acknowledge  their  baseness. 

He  afterwards  adds,  Tlierefore  your  daughters  shall  play  the 
rvanton,  and  your  daughters-in-law  shall  become  adulteresses  :  I 
icill  not  visit  your  daughters  and  daughter s-in-laio.     Some  ex- 
plain this  passage  as  though  the  Prophet  said,  "  While  the 
parents  were  absent,   their  daughters  and  daughters-in-law 
played  the  wanton."     The  case  is  the  same  at  this  day ;  for 
there  is  no  greater  liberty  in  licentiousness  than  what  prevails 
during  vowed  pilgrimages :  for  Avhen  any  one  wishes  to  in- 
dulge freely  in  wantonness,  she  makes  a  vow  to  undertake  a 
pilgrimage  :  an  adulterer  is  ready  at  hand  who  offers  himself 
a  companion.     And  again,  when  the  husband  is  so  foolish  as 
to  run  here  and  there,  he  at  the  same  time  gives  to  his  wife 
the  opportunity  of  being  licentious.     And  we  know  further, 
that  when  many  women  meet  at  unusual  hours  in  churches, 
and  have  their  private  masses,  there  are  there  hidden  corners, 
where  they  perpetrate  all  kinds  of  licentiousness.     We  know, 
indeed,  that  this  is  very  common.     But  the  Prophet's  mean- 
ing is  another :  for  God  here  denounces  the  punishment  of 
which  Paul  speaks  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Romans,  when 
he  says,  '  As  men  have  transferred  the  glory  of  God  to  dead 
things,  so  God  ako  gave  them  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,'  that 
they  might  discern  nothing,  and  abandon  themselves  to  every 
thing  shameful,  and  even  prostitute  their  own  bodies. 

Let  us  then  know,  that  when  just  and  due  honour  is  not 
rendered  to  God,  this  vengeance  deservedly  follows,  that  men 
become  covered  with  infamy.  Why  so  ?  Because  nothing  ia 
more  equitable  than  that  God  should  vindicate  his  own  glory, 
when  men  corrupt  and  adulterate  it :  for  why  should  then 
any  honour  remain  to  them?  and  why,  on  the  contrary, 
should  not  God  sink  them  at  once  in  some  extreme  baseness  ? 
Let  us  then  know,  that  this  is  a  just  punishment,  when  adul- 
teries prevail,  and  when  vagrant  lusts  promiscuously  follow. 

He  then  who  worships  not  God,  shall  have  at  home  an 
adulterous  Avife,  and  filthy  strumpets  as  his  daughters,  boldly 


CHAP.  IV.  13,  14.      COMMEJS'TAHIES  ON  HOSEA.  167 

playing  the  wanton,  and  he  shall  have  also  adulterous  daugh- 
ters-in-law :  not  that  the  Prophet  speaks  only  of  what  would 
take  place ;  but  he  shows  that  such  would  be  the  vengeance 
that  God  would  take  :  '  Your  daughters  therefore  shall  play 
the  wanton,  and  your  daughters-in-law  shall  be  adulteresses ;' 
and  I  will  not  punish  your  daughters  and  your  daughters-in- 
lato ;  that  is,  "  I  will  not  correct  them  for  their  scandalous 
conduct ;  for  I  wish  them  to  be  exposed  to  infamy."  For 
this  truth  must  ever  stand  firm,  '  Him  who  honours  me,  I  will 
honour :  and  him  who  despises  my  name,  I  will  make  con- 
temptible and  ignominious,'  (L  Sam.  ii.  30.)  God  then  de- 
clares that  he  will  not  visit  these  crimes,  because  he  designed 
in  this  way  to  punish  the  ungodly,  by  whom  his  own  worship 
had  been  corrupted. 

He  says.  Because  they  with  strumpets  separate  themselves. 
Some  explain  this  verb  *T^3)  pered,  as  meaning,  "  They  di- 
vide husbands  from  their  wives  :"  but  the  Prophet,  no  doubt, 
means,  that  they  separated  themselves  from  God,  in  the  same 
manner  as  a  wife  does,  when  she  leaves  her  husband  and  gives 
herself  up  to  an  adulterer.  The  Prophet  then  uses  the  word 
allegorically,  or  at  least  metaphorically :  and  a  reason  is 
given,  which  they  do  not  understand  who  take  this  passage 
as  referring  literally  to  adulteries ;  and  their  mistake  is  suffi- 
ciently proved  to  be  so  by  the  next  clause,  '  and  with  strum- 
pets they  sacrifice.'  The  separation  then  of  which  he  speaks 
is  this,  that  they  sacrificed  with  strumpets  ;  which  they  could 
not  do  without  violating  their  faith  pledged  to  God.  We 
now  apprehend  the  Prophet's  real  meaning :  '  I  will  not  punish,' 
he  says,  '  wantonness  and  adulteries  in  your  families.'  Why  ? 
"  Because  1  would  have  you  to  be  made  infamous,  for  ye  have 
first  played  the  wanton." 

But  there  is  a  change  of  person ;  and  this  ought  to  be  ob- 
served :  for  he  ought  to  have  carried  on  his  discourse  through- 
out in  the  second  person,  and  to  have  said,  "  Because  ye  have 
separated  with  strumpets,  and  accompany  harlots ;"  this  is  the 
way  in  which  he  ought  to  have  spoken  :  but  through  excess, 
as  it  were,  of  indignation,  he  makes  a  change  in  his  address, 
'  They,'  he  says,  '  have  played  the  wanton,'  as  though  he 
deemed   them  unworthy  of  being  spoken  to.      They  have 


168  THE  TWELVE  MLNOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XI. 

then  played  the  wanton  with  strumpets.  By  strumpets,  he 
doubtless  understands  the  corruptions  by  which  God's 
worship  had  been  perverted,  even  through  wantonness  :  they 
sacrifice,  he  says,  with  strumpets,  that  is,  they  forsake  the  true 
God,  and  resort  to  whatever  pollutions  they  please ;  and  this 
is  to  play  the  wanton,  us  when  a  husband,  leaving  his  wife, 
or  when  a  wife,  leaving  her  husband,  abandon  themselves  to 
filthy  lust.  But  it  is  nothing  strange  or  unwonted  for  sins 
to  be  punished  by  other  sins.  What  Paul  teaches  ought 
especially  to  be  borne  in  mind,  that  God,  as  the  avenger  of 
his  own  glory,  gives  men  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,  and  suffers 
them  to  be  covered  Avith  many  most  disgraceful  things  ;  for 
he  cannot  bear  with  them,  when  they  turn  his  glory  to  shame 
and  his  truth  to  a  lie. 

He  afterwards  adds,  And  the  people,  not  understanding,  shall 
stumble.  They  who  take  the  verb  tO!l7,  labeth,  as  meaning, 
"  to  be  perverted,"  understand  it  here  in  the  sense  of  being 
"  perplexed :"  nor  is  this  sense  inappropriate.  The  people 
then  shall  not  understand  and  he  perplexed ;  that  is.  They  shall 
not  know  the  right  way.  But  the  word  means  also  "to 
stumble,"  and  still  oftener  "to  fall;"  and  since  this  is  the  more 
received  sense,  I  am  disposed  to  embrace  it :  The  people  then, 
not  understanding,  shall  stumble. 

The  Prophet  here  teaches,  that  the  pretence  of  ignorance 
is  of  no  weight  before  God,  though  hypocrites  are  wont  to 
flee  to  this  at  last.  When  they  find  themselves  without  any 
excuse  they  run  to  this  asylum, — "  But  I  thought  that  I  was 
doing  right ;  I  am  deceived  :  but  be  it  so,  it  is  a  pardonable 
mistake."  The  Prophet  here  declares  these  excuses  to  be 
vain  and  fallacious  ;  for  the  people,  who  understand  not,  shall 
stumble  and  that  deservedly :  for  how  came  this  ignorance 
to  be  in  the  people  of  Israel,  but  that  they,  as  it  has  been 
before  said,  wilfully  closed  their  eyes  against  the  light? 
When,  therefore,  men  thus  wilfully  determine  to  be  blind, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Lord  delivers  them  up  to  final  de- 
struction. But  if  they  now  flatter  themselves  by  pretending, 
as  I  have  already  said,  a  mistake,  the  Lord  will  shake  off 
this  false  confidence,  and  does  now  shake  it  off  by  his  word. 
What  then  ought  we  to  do  ?  To  learn  knowledge  from  his 


CHAP.  IV.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  nOSEA.  169 

word ;    for  this  is  our  wisdom  and  our  understanding,  as 
Moses  says,  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  Deuteronomy. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as  we  are  so  disposed  and 
inclined  to  aU  kinds  of  errors,  to  so  many  and  so  various  forms 
of  superstitions,  and  as  Satan  also  ceases  not  to  lay  in  wait  for 
us,  and  spreads  before  us  his  many  snares, — O  grant,  that  we 
may  be  so  preserved  in  obedience  to  thee  by  the  teaching  of 
thy  word,  that  we  may  never  turn  here  and  there,  either  to  the 
right  hand  or  to  the  left,  but  continue  in  that  pure  worship 
which  thou  hast  prescribed,  so  that  we  may  plainly  testify  that 
thou  art  indeed  our  Father  by  continuing  under  the  protection 
of  thy  only-begotten  Son,  whom  thou  hast  given  to  be  our  pas- 
tor and  ruler  to  the  end.     Amen. 


lecture  ^fxteXttt), 

15.  Though  thou,  Israel,  play  the  15-   Si  scortaris  tu  Israel,  ne 

harlot,  yet  let  not  Judah  offend ;  and  offendat  Jehudah ;   ne  veniatis 

come  not  ye  unto  Gilgal,  neither  go  in    Gilgal,    et    ne     ascendatis 

ye  up  to  Beth-aven,  nor  swear.  The  Beth-aven,  et  ne  juretis,  Vivit 

Lord  liveth.  Jehova. 

The  Prophet  here  complains  that  Judah  also  was  infected 
with  superstitions,  though  the  Lord  had  hitherto  wonderfully 
kept  them  from  pollutions  of  this  kind.  He  compares  Israel 
with  Judah,  as  though  he  said,  "  It  is  no  wonder  that  Israel 
plays  the  wanton  ;  they  had  for  a  long  time  shaken  off  the 
yoke ;  their  defection  is  well  known :  but  it  is  not  to  be  en- 
dured, that  Judah  also  should  begin  to  fall  away  into  the 
same  abominations."  We  now  then  perceive  the  object  of  the 
comparison.  From  the  time  that  Jeroboam  led  after  him  the 
ten  tribes,  the  worship  of  God,  we  know,  was  corrupted ;  for 
the  Israelites  were  forbidden  to  ascend  to  Jerusalem,  and  to 
offer  sacrifices  there  to  God  according  to  the  law.  Altars 
were  at  the  same  time  built,  which  were  nothing  but  perver- 
sions of  divine  worship.  This  state  of  things  had  now  con- 
tinued for  many  years.  The  Prophet  therefore  says,  that 
Israel  was  like  a  filthy  strumpet,  void  of  all  shame  ;  nor  was 
this  to  be  wondered  at,  for  they  had  cast  away  the  fear  of 


170  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XII. 

God :  but  that  Judah  also  should  forsake  God's  pure  worship 
as  well  as  Israel, — this  the  Prophet  deplores,  If  then  thou  Is- 
rael play  est  the  wanton,  let  not  Judah  at  least  offend. 

We  here  see  first,  how  difficult  it  is  for  those  to  continue 
untouched  without  any  stain,  who  come  in  contact  with  pollu- 
tions and  defilements.     This  is  the  case  with  any  one  that 
is  living  among  Papists ;  he  can  hardly  keep  himself  entire 
for  the  Lord  ;  for  vicinity,  as  we  find,  brings  contagion.  The 
Israelites  were  separated  from  the  Jews,  and  yet  we  see  that 
the  Jews  were  corrupted  by  their  diseases  and  vices.     There 
is,  indeed,  nothing  we  are  so  disposed  to  do  as  to  forsake  true 
religion ;  inasmuch  as  there  is  naturally  in  us  a  perverse  lust 
for  mixing  with  it  some  false  and  ungodly  forms  of  worship ; 
and  every  one   in  this  respect  is  a  teacher  to  himself:  what 
then  is  likely  to  take  place,  when  Satan  on  the  other  hand 
stimulates  us  ?     Let  all  then  who  are  neighbours  to  idolaters 
beware,  lest  they  contract  any  of  their  pollutions. 

We  further  see,  that  the  guilt  of  those  who  have  been 
rightly  taught  is  not  to  be  extenuated  when  they  associate 
with  the  blind  and  the  unbelieving.  Though  the  Israelites 
boasted  of  the  name  of  God,  they  wxre  yet  then  alienated 
from  pure  doctrine,  and  had  been  long  sunk  in  the  darkness 
of  errors.  There  was  no  religion  among  them ;  nay,  they 
had  hardly  a  single  pure  spark  of  divine  light.  The  Prophet 
now  brings  this  charge  against  the  Jews,  that  they  differed 
not  from  the  Israelites,  and  yet  God  had  to  that  time  carried 
before  them  the  torch  of  light ;  for  he  suffered  not  sound 
doctrine  to  be  extinguished  at  Jerusalem,  nor  throughout  the 
whole  of  Judea.  The  Jews,  by  not  profiting  through  this 
singular  kindness  of  God,  were  doubly  guilty.  This  is  the 
reason  why  the  Prophet  now  says,  Tliough  Israel  is  become 
wanton,  yet  let  not  Judah  offend. 

Come  ye  not  to  Gilgal,  he  says,  and  ascend  not  into  Beth- 
aven.  Here  again  he  points  out  the  superstitions  by  which 
the  Israelites  had  vitiated  the  pure  worship  of  God ;  they 
had  built  altars  for  themselves  in  Bethel  and  Gilgal,  where 
they  pretended  to  worship  God. 

Gilgal,  we  know,  was  a  celebrated  place ;  for  after  passing 
through  Jordan,  they  built  there  a  pillar  as  a  memorial  of  that 


CHAP.  IV.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  171 

miracle ;  and  the  people  no  doubt  ever  remembered  so 
remarkable  an  instance  of  divine  favour :  and  the  place  itself 
retained  among  the  people  its  fame  and  honourable  distinc- 
tion. This  in  itself  deserved  no  blame  :  but  as  men  commonly 
pervert  by  abuse  every  good  thing,  so  Jeroboam,  or  one  of 
his  successors,  built  a  temple  in  Gilgal ;  for  the  minds  almost 
of  all  were  already  possessed  with  some  reverence  for  the 
place.  Had  there  been  no  distinction  belonging  to  the  place, 
he  could  not  have  so  easily  inveigled  the  minds  of  the  people  ; 
but  as  a  notion  already  prevailed  among  them  that  the  place 
was  holy  on  account  of  the  miraculous  passing  over  of  the 
people,  Jeroboam  found  it  easier  to  introduce  there  his  per- 
verted worship  :  for  when  one  imagines  that  the  place  itself 
pleases  God,  he  is  already  captivated  by  his  own  deceptions. 
The  same  also  must  be  said  of  Bethel :  its  name  was  given  it, 
we  know,  by  the  holy  father  Jacob,  because  God  appeared 
there  to  him.  '  Terrible,'  he  said,  '  is  this  place  ;  it  is  the 
gate  of  heaven,'  (Gen.  xxviii.  1 7.)  He  hence  called  it  Bethel, 
which  means  the  house  of  God.  Since  Jacob  sacrificed  there 
to  God,  posterity  thought  this  stUl  allowable  :  for  hypocrites 
weigh  not  what  God  enjoins,  but  catch  only  at  the  Fathers' 
examples,  and  follow  as  their  rule  whatever  they  hear  to  have 
been  done  by  the  Fathers. 

As  then  foolish  men  are  content  with  bare  examples,  and 
attend  not  to  what  God  requires,  so  the  Prophet  distinctly 
inveighs  here  against  both  places,  even  Bethel  and  Gilgal. 
Come  not,  he  says,  to  Gilgal^  and  ascend  not  into  Beth-aven. 
But  we  must  observe  the  change  of  name  made  by  the  Pro- 
phet; for  he  calls  not  the  place  by  its  honourable  name. 
Bethel,  but  calls  it  the  house  of  iniquity.  It  is  indeed  true  that 
God  revealed  himself  there  to  his  servant  Jacob  ;  but  he  in- 
tended not  the  place  to  be  permanently  fixed  for  himself,  he 
intended  not  that  there  should  be  a  perpetual  altar  there  : 
the  vision  was  only  for  a  time.  Had  the  people  been  con- 
firmed in  their  faith,  whenever  the  name  of  the  place  was 
heard,  it  would  have  been  a  commendable  thing ;  but  they 
departed  from  the  true  faith,  for  they  despised  the  sure  com- 
mand of  God,  and  preferred  what  had  been  done  by  an  indi- 
vidual, and  ^vere  indeed  influenced  by  a  foolish  zeal.     It  is 


172  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XII. 

no  wonder  then  that  the  Prophet  turns  praise  into  blame,  and 
allows  not  the  place  to  be,  as  formerly,  the  House  of  God, 
but  the  house  of  iniquity.  We  now  see  the  Prophet's  real 
meaning. 

I  return  to  the  reproof  he  gives  to  the  Jews :  he  condemns 
them  for  leaving  the  legitimate  altar  and  running  to  profane 
places,  and  coveting  those  strange  modes  of  worship  which 
had  been  invented  by  the  will  or  fancy  of  men.  "  What  have 
you  to  do,"  he  says,  "  with  Gilgal  or  Bethel  ?  Has  not  God 
appointed  a  sanctuary  for  you  at  Jerusalem  ?  Why  do  ye 
not  worship  there,  where  he  himself  invites  you  ?"  We  hence 
see  that  a  comparison  is  to  be  understood  here  between  Gil- 
gal and  Bethel  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  temple,  built  by 
God's  command  on  mount  Zion,  in  Jerusalem,  on  the  other. 
Moreover,  this  reproof  applies  to  many  in  our  day.  So  to  those 
who  sagaciously  consider  the  state  of  things  in  our  age,  the 
Papists  appear  to  be  like  the  Israelites  ;  for  their  apostacy  is 
notorious  enough :  there  is  nothing  sound  among  them  ;  the 
whole  of  their  religion  is  rotten ;  every  thing  is  depraved. 
But  as  the  Lord  has  chosen  us  peculiarly  to  himself,  we  must 
beware,  lest  they  should  draw  us  to  themselves,  and  entangle 
us  :  for,  as  we  have  said,  we  must  ever  fear  contagion  ;  inas- 
much as  nothing  is  more  easy  than  to  become  infected  with 
their  vices,  since  our  nature  is  to  vices  ever  inclined. 

We  are  further  reminded  how  foolish  and  frivolous  is  the 
excuse  of  those  who,  being  satisfied  with  the  examples  of  the 
Fathers,  pass  by  the  word  of  God,  and  think  themselves 
released  from  every  command,  when  they  follow  the  holy 
Fathers.  Jacob  was  indeed,  among  others,  worthy  of  imita- 
tion; and  yet  we  learn  from  this  place,  that  the  pretence  that 
his  posterity  made  for  worshipping  God  in  Bethel  was  of  no 
avail.  Let  us  then  know  that  we  cannot  be  certain  of  being 
right,  except  when  we  obey  the  Lord's  command,  and  at- 
tempt nothing  according  to  men's  fancy,  but  follow  only  what 
he  bids.  It  must  also  be  observed,  that  a  fault  is  not  extenu- 
ated when  things,  now  perverted,  have  proceeded  from  a 
good  and  approved  origin.  As  for  instance  the  Papists, 
when  their  superstitions  are  condemned,  ever  set  up  this 
shield,  "  O  !  this  has  arisen  from  a  good  source."     But  what 


CHAP.  IV.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  173 

sort  of  thing  is  it  ?  If  indeed  we  judge  of  it  by  what  it  is 
now,  we  clearly  see  it  to  be  an  impious  abomination,  which  they 
excuse  by  the  plea  that  it  had  a  good  and  holy  beginning. 

Thus  in  baptism  we  see  how  various  and  how  many  de- 
pravations they  have  mixed  together.  Baptism  has  indeed 
its  origin  in  the  institution  of  Christ :  but  no  permission  has 
been  given  to  men  to  deface  it  by  so  many  additions.  The 
origin  then  of  baptism  affords  the  Papists  no  excuse,  but  on 
the  contrary  renders  double  their  sin ;  for  they  have,  by  a 
profane  audacity,  contaminated  what  the  Son  of  God  has 
appointed.  But  there  is  in  their  mass  a  much  greater  abo- 
mination :  for  the  mass,  as  we  know,  is  in  no  respect  the 
same  with  the  holy  supper  of  our  Lord.  There  are  at  least 
some  things  remaining  in  baptism ;  but  the  mass  is  in  no- 
thing like  Christ's  holy  supper :  and  yet  the  Papists  boast  that 
the  mass  is  the  supper.  Be  it  so,  that  it  had  crept  in,  and 
that  through  the  craft  of  Satan,  and  also  through  the  wicked- 
ness or  depravity  of  men :  but  whatever  may  have  been  its 
beginning,  it  does  not  wipe  away  the  extreme  infamy  that 
belongs  to  the  mass  :  for,  as  it  is  well  known,  they  abolish 
by  it  the  only  true  sacrifice  of  Christ ;  they  ascribe  to  their 
own  devices  the  expiation  which  was  made  by  the  death  of 
the  Son  of  God.  And  here  we  have  not  only  to  contend  with 
the  Papists,  but  also  with  those  wicked  triflers,  who  proudly 
call  themselves  Nicodemians.  For  these  indeed  deny  that 
they  come  to  the  mass,  because  they  have  any  regard  for  the 
Papistic  figment;  but  because  they  say  that  there  is  set  forth 
a  commemoration  of  Christ's  supper  and  of  his  death.  Since 
Bethel  was  formerly  turned  into  Bethaven,  what  else  at  this 
day  is  the  mass  ?  Let  us  then  ever  take  heed,  that  whatever 
the  Lord  has  instituted  may  remain  in  its  own  purity,  and 
not  degenerate ;  otherwise  we  shall  be  guilty,  as  it  has  been 
said,  of  the  impious  audacity  of  those  who  have  changed  the 
truth  into  a  lie.  We  now  understand  the  design  of  what  the 
Prophet  teaches,  and  to  what  purposes  it  may  be  applied. 

He  at  last  subjoins.  And  swear  not,  Jehovah  liveth.  The  Pro- 
phet seems  here  to  condemn  what  in  itself  was  right :  for  to 
swear  is  to  profess  religion,  and  to  testify  our  profession  of  it ; 
particularly  when  men  swear  honestly.     But  as  this  formula, 


174  TllK  TWELVE  MINOR  TROPHETS,  LECT.  Xll. 

which  the  Prophet  mentions,  was  faultless,  why  did  God  for- 
bid to  swear  by  his  name,  and  even  in  a  holy  manner  ?     Be- 
cause he  would  reign  alone,  and  could  not  bear  to  be  con- 
nected with  idols  ;  for  '  what  concord,'  says  Paul,  '  has  Christ 
with  Belial  ?     How  can  light  agree  with  darkness  ?'    (2  Cor. 
vi.  15:)  so  God  would  allow  of  no  concord  with  idols.    This 
is  expressed  more  fully  by  another  Prophet,  Zephaniah,  when 
he  says,  '  I  will  destroy  those  who  swear  by  the  living  God, 
and  swear  by  their  king,'    (Zeph.  i.  5.)      God  indeed  ex- 
pressly commands  the  faithful  to  swear  by  his  name  alone  in 
Deut.  vi.  and  in  other  places  :  and  further,  when  the  true 
profession  of  religion  is  referred  to,  this  formula  is  laid  down, 
'  They  shall  swear.  The  Lord  liveth,'  (Jer.  iv.  2.)    But  when 
men  associated  the  name  of  God  with  their  own  perverted 
devices,  it  was  by  no  means  to  be  endured.     The  Prophet 
then  now  condemns  this  perfidy.  Swear  not,  Jehovah  liveth ;  as 
though  he  said,  "  How  dare  these  men  take  God's  name,  when 
they  abandon  themselves  to  idols?  for  God  allows  his  name 
only  to  his  own  people."     The  faithful  indeed  take  God's 
name  in  oaths  as  it  were  by  his  leave.    Except  the  Lord  had 
granted  this  right,  it  would  have  certainly  been  a  sacrilege. 
But  we  borrow  God's  name  by  his  permission :  and  it  is  right 
to  do  so,  when  we  keep  faith  with  him,  when  we  continue  in 
his  service ;  but  when  we  worship  false  gods,  then  we  have 
nothing  to  do  with  him,  and  he  takes  away  the  privilege 
which  he  has  given  us.     Then  he  says,  '  Ye  shall  not  hence- 
forth blend  the  name  of  the  only  true  God  with  idols.'     For 
this  he  cannot  endure,  as  he  declares  also  in  Ezek.  xx.,  *  Go 
ye,  serve  your  idols  ;  I  reject  all  your  worship.'     The  Lord 
was  thus  grievously  oiFended,  even  when  sacrifices  were  offered 
to  him.    Why  so  ?    Because  it  was  a  kind  of  pollution,  when 
the  Jews  professed  to  worship  him,  and  then  went  after  their 
ungodly  superstitions.     We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning 
of  this  verse.     It  follows — 

16.  For  Israel  slid-  16.  Quia  siciit  juvenca  indomita,  indomitus 

eth  back   as   a  back-  Israel :  nunc  pascet  Jehova  quasi  agnum  tener- 

sliding  heifer :  now  the  um  (nam  cq^  proprie  significat,  Agnum  tener- 

Lord    will    feed   them  um  ;  hoc  est,  qui  adhuc  est  anniculus :  ^ijj  au- 

as  a  lamb  in  a  large  tern  vacant  arietem  qui  annum  unum  excessii)  in 

place.  loco  spatioso. 


CHAP.  IV,  l(i.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  175 

The  Prophet  compares  Israel  here  to  an  untameable  heifer. 
Some  render  it,  "  A  straying  heifer  :"  and  we  may  render  it, 
"  A  wanton  heifer."  But  to  others  a  defection  seems  to  have 
been  more  especially  intended,  because  they  had  receded  or 
departed  from  God  :  but  this  comparison  is  not  so  apposite. 
They  render  it,  "As  a  backsliding,"  or  "receding  heifer ;"  but 
I  prefer  to  view  the  word  as  meaning,  one  that  is  petulant  or 
lascivious :  and  the  punishment  which  is  subjoined,  The  Lord 
will  now  feed  them  as  a  tender  lamh  in  a  spacious  place,  best 
agrees  with  this  view,  as  we  shall  immediately  see. 

It  must,  in  the  first  place,  be  understood,  that  Israel  is  com- 
pared to  a  heifer,  and  indeed  to  one  that  is  wanton,  which 
cannot  remain  quiet  in  the  stall  nor  be  accustomed  to  the 
yoke  :  it  is  hence  subjoined,  Tlie  Lord  icill  noiv  feed  them  as  a 
lamh  in  a  spacious  place.  The  meaning  of  this  clause  may  be 
twofold ;  the  first  is,  that  the  Lord  would  leave  them  in  their 
luxuries  to  gorge  themselves  according  to  their  lust,  and  to 
indulge  themselves  in  their  gormandizing ;  and  it  is  a  dread- 
ful punishment,  when  the  Lord  allays  not  the  intemperate- 
ness  of  men,  but  suflfers  them  to  wanton  without  any  limits 
or  moderation.  Hence  some  give  this  meaning  to  the  pass- 
age, God  icill  now  feed  tliem  as  a  lamh,  that  is,  like  a  sheep 
void  of  understanding,  and  in  a  large  place,  even  in  a  most 
fruitful  field,  capable  of  supplying  food  to  satiety.  But  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet  meant  another  thing,  even  this, 
that  the  Lord  would  so  scatter  Israel,  that  they  might  be  as 
a  lamb  in  a  spacious  place.  It  is  what  is  peculiar  to  sheep, 
we  know,  that  they  continue  under  the  shepherd's  care :  and 
a  sheep,  when  driven  into  solitude,  shows  itself,  by  its  bleat- 
ing, to  be  timid,  and  to  be  as  it  were  seeking  its  shepherd 
and  its  flock.  In  short,  a  sheep  is  not  a  solitary  animal ;  and 
it  is  almost  a  part  of  their  food  to  sheep  and  lambs  to  feed 
together,  and  also  under  the  eye  of  him  under  whose  care 
they  are.  Now  there  seems  to  be  here  a  most  striking 
change  of  figure :  They  are,  says  the  Prophet,  like  untame- 
ahle  heifers,  for  they  are  so  wanton  that  no  field  can  satisfy 
their  wantonness,  as  when  a  heifer  would  occupy  the  whole 
land.  "  Such  then,"  he  says,  "  and  so  outrageous  is  the  diso- 
bedience of  this  people,  that  they  can  no  longer  endure,  ex- 


176  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XII. 

cept  a  spacious  place  be  given  to  each  of  them.  I  will  there- 
fore give  them  a  spacious  place  :  but  for  this  end,  that  each 
of  them  may  be  like  a  lamb,  who  looks  around  and  sees  no 
flock  to  which  it  may  join  itself." 

This  happened  when  the  land  was  stripped  of  its  inhabit- 
ants ;  for  then  a  small  number  only  dwelt  in  it.  Four  tribes, 
as  stated  before,  were  first  drawn  away ;  and  then  they  be- 
gan to  be  like  lambs  in  a  spacious  place ;  for  God  terrified 
them  with  the  dread  of  enemies.  The  remaining  part  of  the 
people  was  afterwards  either  dispersed  or  led  into  exile. 
They  were,  when  in  exile,  like  lambs,  and  those  in  a  wide 
place.  For  though  they  lived  in  cottages,  and  their  condition 
was  in  every  way  confined,  yet  they  were  in  a  place  like  the 
desert ;  for  one  hardly  dared  look  on  another,  and  waste  and 
solitude  met  their  eyes  wherever  they  turned  them.  We  see 
then  what  the  Prophet  meant  by  saying.  They  are  like  an  un- 
tameahle  or  a  wanton  heifer :  "  I  will  tame  them,  and  make 
them  like  lambs  ;  and  when  scattered,  they  will  fear  as  in  a 
wilderness,  for  there  will  be  no  flock  to  which  they  can  come." 
Let  us  proceed — 

17.  Ephraim  is  joined  to  idols ;  17.  Adjiuixit  se  (yel,  associavit) 
let  him  alone.  idolis  Ephraim  :  dimitte  eum. 

As  if  wearied,  God  here  bids  his  Prophet  to  rest;  as  though 
he  said,  "  Since  I  prevail  nothing  with  this  people,  they  must 
be  given  up;  cease  from  thy  work."  God  had  set  Hosea  over 
the  Israelites  for  this  end,  to  lead  them  to  repentance,  if  they 
could  by  any  means  be  reformed :  the  duty  of  the  Prophet, 
enjoined  by  God,  was,  to  bring  back  miserable  and  straying 
men  from  their  error,  and  to  restore  them  again  to  the  obe- 
dience of  pure  faith.  He  now  saw  that  the  Prophet's  labour 
was  in  vain,  without  any  success.  Hence  he  was,  as  I  have 
said,  wearied,  and  bids  the  Prophet  to  desist :  Leave  them,  he 
says ;  that  is,  ''  There  is  no  use  for  thee  to  weary  thyself  any 
more ;  1  dismiss  thee  from  thy  labour,  and  Avill  not  have  thee 
to  take  any  more  trouble ;  for  they  are  Avholly  incurable." 
For  by  saying  that  they  had  joined  themselves  to  idols,  he 
means,  that  they  could  not  be  drawn  from  that  perverseness 
in  which  they  had    grown  hardened;   as  though   he  said, 


CHAP.  IV.  18.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  177 

"  This  is  an  alliance  that  cannot  be  broken."  And  he  alludes 
to  the  marriage  which  he  had  before  mentioned  :  for  the  Is- 
raelites, we  know,  had  been  joined  to  God,  for  he  had  adopted 
them  to  be  a  holy  people  to  himself ;  they  afterwards  adopted 
impious  forms  of  worship.  But  yet  there  was  a  hope  of 
recovery,  until  they  became  wholly  attached  to  their  idols, 
and  clave  so  fast  to  them,  that  they  could  not  be  drawn 
away.  This  alliance  the  Prophet  points  out  when  he  says, 
They  are  joined  to  idols. 

But  he  mentions  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  for  the  kings,  (I 
mean,  of  Israel,)  we  know,  sprang  from  that  tribe;  and  at  the 
same  time  he  reproaches  that  tribe  for  having  abused  God's 
blessing.  We  know  that  Ephraim  was  blessed  by  holy 
Jacob  in  preference  to  his  elder  brother ;  and  yet  there  was 
no  reason  why  Jacob  put  aside  the  first-born  and  preferred 
the  younger,  except  that  God  in  this  case  manifested  his  own 
good  pleasure.  The  ingratitude  of  Ephraim  was  therefore 
less  excusable,  when  he  not  only  fell  away  from  the  pure 
w^orship  of  God,  but  polluted  also  the  whole  land ;  for  it  was 
Jeroboam  who  introduced  ungodly  superstitions ;  he  there- 
fore w^as  the  source  of  all  the  evil.  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  Prophet  now  expressly  mentions  Ephraim  :  though  it  is 
a  form  of  speaking,  commonlj'-  used  by  all  the  Prophets,  to 
designate  Israel,  by  taking  a  part  for  the  whole,  by  the  name 
of  Ephraim. 

But  this  passage  is  worthy  of  being  noticed,  that  we  may 
attend  to  God's  reproofs,  and  not  remain  torpid  when  he 
rouses  us ;  for  we  ought  ever  to  fear,  lest  he  should  suddenly 
reject  us,  when  he  is  wearied  with  our  perverseness,  or  when 
he  conceives  such  a  displeasure  as  not  to  deign  to  speak  to  us 
any  more.     It  follows — 

18.    Their  drink  is  sour ;   they  18.  Putruit  potus  eorum ;  scor- 

have  committed  whoredom  continu-  tando   scortati   sunt:    dilexerunt,. 

ally ;  her  rulei's  wYA  shame  do  love,  Afferte,  turpiter  {vel,  ignomiuiam 

Give  ye.  jl'pp)  principes  ejus. 

The  Prophet,  using  a  metaphor,  says  here  first,  that  their 
drink  had  become  putrid ;  which  means,  that  they  had  so 
intemperately  given  themselves  up  to  every  kind  of  wicked- 
ness, that  all  things  among  them  had  become  foetid.     And 

VOL.  I.  M 


178  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XII. 

the  Pi'ophet  alludes  to  shameful  and  beastly  excess  :  for  the 
drunken  are  so  addicted  to  wine,  that  they  emit  a  disgusting 
smell,  and  are  never  satisfied  with  drinking,  until  by  spewing, 
they  throw  up  the  excessive  draughts  they  have  taken.  The 
Prophet  then  had  this  in  view.  He  speaks  not,  however,  of 
the  drinking  of  wine,  this  is  certain :  but  by  drunkenness,  on 
the  contrary,  he  means  that  unbridled  licentiousness,  which 
then  prevailed  among  the  people.  Since  then  they  allowed 
themselves  every  thing  they  pleased  Avithout  shame,  they 
seemed  like  drunken  men,  insatiable,  who,  when  wholly  given 
to  wine,  think  it  their  highest  delight  ever  to  have  wine  on 
the  palate,  or  to  fill  copiously  the  throat,  or  to  glut  their  sto- 
mach :  when  drunken  men  do  these  things,  then  they  send 
forth  the  ofiensive  smell  of  wine.  This  then  is  what  the 
Prophet  means,  when  he  says,  Putrid  has  become  their  drink; 
that  is,  the  people  observe  no  moderation  in  sinning ;  they 
ofiend  not  God  now,  in  the  common  and  usual  manner,  but 
are  wholly  like  beastly  men,  who  are  nothing  ashamed,  con- 
stantly to  belch  and  to  spew,  so  that  they  ofiend  by  their  foetid 
smell  all  who  meet  them.     Such  are  this  people. 

He  afterwards  adds.  By  icantoning  they  have  become  wanton. 
This  is  another  comparison.  The  Prophet,  we  know,  has 
hitherto  been  speaking  of  wantonness  in  a  metaphorical  sense, 
signifying  thereby,  that  Israel  perfidiously  abandoned  them- 
selves to  idols,  and  thus  violated  their  faith  pledged  to  the 
true  God.  He  now  follows  the  same  metaphor  here,  *  By 
wantoning  they  have  become  wanton.'  Hence  he  reproaches 
and  represents  them  as  infamous  on  two  accounts, — because 
they  cast  aside  every  shame,  like  the  drunken  who  are  so 
delighted  with  wine,  that  through  excess  they  send  forth  its 
oflFensive  smell, — and  because  they  were  like  wantons. 

A.t  last  he  says.  Her  princes  have  shamefully  loved,  Bring  ye. 
Here,  in  a  peculiar  way,  the  Prophet  shows  that  the  great 
sinned  with  extreme  licentiousness  ;  for  they  were  given  to 
bribery  :  and  the  eyes  of  the  wise,  we  know,  are  blinded,  and 
the  hearts  of  the  just  are  perverted,  by  gifts.  But  the  Pro- 
phet designedly  made  this  addition,  that  we  might  know  that 
there  were  then  none  among  the  people  who  attempted  to 
apply  a  remedy  to  the  many  prevailing  vices ;  for  even  the 
rulers  coveted  gain ;  no  one  remembered  for  what  purpose 


CHAP.  IV.  19.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  179 

he  had  been  called.  Hence  it  happened,  that  every  one  in- 
dulged himself  with  impunity  in  whatever  pleased  him.  How 
so  ?  Because  there  were  no  censors  of  pubHc  morals.  Here 
we  see  in  what  a  wretched  state  the  people  are,  when  there 
are  none  to  exercise  discipline,  when  even  the  judges  gape 
for  gain,  and  care  for  nothing  but  for  gifts  and  riches ;  for 
then  what  the  Prophet  describes  here  as  to  the  people  of  Is- 
rael must  happen.     Her  princes  then  have  loved,  Bring  ye. 

Respecting  the  word  P7pj  kolun,  we  must  shortly  say,  that 
Hosea  does  not  simply  allude  to  any  kinds  of  gifts,  but  to 
such  gifts  as  proved  that  there  was  a  public  sale  of  justice  ; 
as  though  he  said,  "  Now  the  judges,  when  they  say.  Bring 
ye,  when  they  love,  Bring  ye,  make  no  distinction  whatever 
between  right  and  wrong,  and  think  all  this  lawful ;  for  the 
people  are  become  insensible  to  such  a  disgraceful  conduct : 
hence  they  basely  and  shamefully  seek  gain." 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  hast  at  this  time  cleigned 
in  thy  mercy  to  gather  us  to  thy  Church,  and  to  enclose  us 
within  the  boundaries  of  thy  word,  by  which  thou  preservest  us 
in  the  true  and  right  worship  of  thy  majesty, — O  grant,  that  we 
may  continue  contented  in  this  obedience  to  thee :  and  though 
Satan  may,  in  many  ways,  attempt  to  draw  us  here  and  there, 
and  we  be  also  ourselves,  by  natm'e,  inclined  to  evU,  O  grant, 
that  being  confirmed  iu  faith,  and  united  to  thee  by  that  sacred 
bond,  we  may  yet  constantly  abide  under  the  guidance  of  thy 
word,  and  thus  cleave  to  Christ  thy  only -begotten  Son,  who  has 
joined  us  for  ever  to  himself,  that  we  may  never  by  any  means 
tm-n  aside  from  thee,  but  be,  on  the  contrary,  confirmed  in  the 
faith  of  his  gospel,  until  at  length  he  wiU  receive  us  all  into  his 
kingdom.    Amen. 


19.  The  wind  19.  Ligavit  ventus  eam  in  alis  suis,  et  pudefient  a 
hath  bound  her  sacrificiis  suis  (vel^  ligavit  veutum  in  alis  suis :  ambiyua 
up  in  her  wings,^     enim  est  locutio   apud  Hebrceos :   atqite  utroi'is  modo 

^  Newcome's  version  of  this  sentence  is  far-fetched, — 
'  A  wind  shall  distress  her  in  her  borders.' 
Horski/s  is  the  same  with  ours,  only  expressed  in  the  present  tense, — 
'  The  wind  binds  her  up  in  its  wiugi.' 


180  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIII. 

and  they  shall  be  legas,  genus  verbi  relativis  non  convenit,  quce  fceminina 
ashamed  because  sunt;  sed  fi-equenter  occurrunt  ejusmodi  exempla:  libera 
of  their  sacrifices,    igitur  eritoptio.') 

If  this  rendering  be  approved,  The  wind  hath  hound  her  in 
its  wings,  the  meaning  is,  that  a  sudden  storm  would  sweep 
away  the  people,  ar.d  thus  would  they  be  made  ashamed  of 
their  sacrifices.  So  the  past  tense  is  to  be  taken  for  the  fu- 
ture. We  may  indeed  read  the  words  in  the  past  tense,  as 
though  the  Prophet  was  speaking  of  what  had  already  taken 
place.  The  wind,  then,  hath  already  swept  away  the  people ; 
by  which  he  intimates,  that  they  seemed  to  have  struck  long 
and  deep  roots  in  their  superstitions,  but  that  the  Lord  had 
already  given  them  up  to  the  wind,  that  it  might  hold  them 
tied  in  its  wings.  And  wings,  we  know,  is  elsewhere  as- 
cribed to  the  wind,  Ps.  civ.  3.  And  thus  the  verse  will  be 
throughout  a  denunciation  of  vengeance. 

The  other  similitude  or  metaphor  is  the  most  appropriate, 
and  harmonises  better  with  the  subject ;  for  were  not  men 
to  support  their  minds  with  vain  confidence,  they  could  never 
with  so  much  audacity  despise  God's  word.  Hence  they  are 
said  to  tie  the  wind  in  their  wings ;  being  unmindful  of  their 
own  condition,  they  attempt  as  by  means  of  the  wind  to  fly ; 
but  when  they  proudly  raise  up  themselves,  they  have  no 
support  but  the  wind.     Let  us  now  proceed — 


CHAPTER  V. 

1.  Hear  ye  this,  O  priests,  1.  Audita  hoc  sacerdotes,  et  attendite 

and    hearken,   ye  house  of  domus,  et  domus  regis  auscultate,  quia 

Israel,  and  give  ye   ear,  O  vobis  judicium  {hoc  est,  judicium  in  vos 

house  of  the  king ;  forjudg-  dirigitur)   nam  laqueus  i'uistis  (hoc  est, 

ment  is  toward  you,  because  tauquam  laqueus,  suhaudiejida  est  3,  nota 

ye  have   been  a  snare   on  similitudims  et  addenda  ad  nomen  r\Q,  (nis- 

Mizpali,  and  a  net  spread  tis  ergo  tanquam  laqueus)  in  Mizpah,  et 

upon  Tabor.  rete  expansum  super  Tabor. 

The  Prophet  here  again  preaches  against  the  whole  people : 
but  he  mainly  directs  his  discourse  to  the  priests  and  the 
rulers  ;  for  they  were  the  source  of  the  prevailing  evils :  the 
priests,  intent  on  gain,  neglected  the  w^orship  of  God ;  and 
the  chief  men,  as  we  have  seen,  were  become  in  every  way 
corrupt.     Hence  the  Prophet  here  especially  inveighs  against 


CHAP.  V.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  181 

these  orders,  and  at  the  same  time,  records  some  vices  which 
then  prevailed  among  the  people,  and  that  through  the  fault 
of  the  priests  and  rulers.  But  before  I  pursue  farther  the 
subject  of  the  Prophet,  something  must  be  said  of  the  words. 

When  he  says.  To  you  is  judgment,  some  explain  it,  "  It  is 
your  duty  to  do  judgment,"  to  maintain  government,  that 
every  one  may  discharge  his  own  office  ;  for  judgment  is  taken 
for  rectitude ;  the  word  DSSJ^^?  meshephetk,  means  a  right 
order  of  things.  Hence  they  think  that  the  priests  and  rulers 
are  here  condemned  for  discharging  so  badly  their  office,  be- 
cause they  had  no  care  for  what  was  right.  But  this  sense 
is  too  strained.  The  Prophet,  therefore,  I  doubt  not,  sum- 
mons here  the  priests  and  the  king's  counsellors  to  God's 
tribunal,  that  they  might  give  an  answer  there ;  for  the  con- 
tempt of  God,  we  know,  prevailed  among  the  great ;  they 
were  secure,  as  though  exempt  from  judgment,  as  though 
released  from  laws  and  all  order.  To  t/ou  then  is  judgment ; 
that  is,  God  addresses  you  by  name,  and  declares  that  he  will 
be  your  avenger,  though  ye  heedlessly  despise  his  judgment. 

Some  again  take  HS^^j  metsephe,  for  a  beacon,  and  thus 
translate,  "  Ye  have  been  a  snare  instead  of  a  beacon."  But 
this  mistake  is  refuted  by  the  second  clause,  for  the  Prophet 
adds  immediately,  a  net  expanded  over  Tahor  :  and  it  is  well 
known  that  Mizpah  and  Tabor  were  high  mountains,  and  for 
their  height  celebrated  and  renowned ;  we  also  know  that 
hunting  was  common  on  these  mountains.  The  Prophet, 
then,  no  doubt  means  here,  that  both  the  priests  and  the 
king's  counsellors  were  like  snares  and  nets  :  "  As  fowlers  and 
hunters  were  wont  to  spread  their  nets  and  snares  on  mount 
Mizpah  and  on  Tabor ;  so  the  people  also  have  been  ensnared 
by  you."  This  is  the  plain  meaning  of  the  words.  Some 
conjecture,  that  robbers  were  there  located  by  the  kings  of 
Israel  to  intercept  the  Israelites,  when  they  found  any  as- 
cending into  Jerusalem,  as  we  now  see  everywhere  persons 
lying  in  wait,  that  no  one  from  the  Papacy  may  come  over 
to  us.  But  this  conjecture  is  too  far  fetched.  I  have  already 
explained  the  Prophet's  meaning :  he  makes  use,  as  we  have 
said,  of  a  similitude. 

Let  us  now  return  to  what  he  teaches  :  Hear  this,  he  says, 
ye  priests,  and  attend,  ye  house  of  Israel,  and  give  ear,  ye  house 


182  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIII. 

of  the  king.  The  Prophet,  indeed,  includes  the  whole  people 
in  the  second  clause,  but  turns  his  discourse  expressly  to  the 
priests  and  the  king's  counsellors ;  which  ought  to  be  spe- 
cially noticed ;  for  it  is  indeed,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see, 
the  general  subject  of  this  chapter.  He  did  not  without 
reason  attack  the  princes,  because  the  main  fault  was  in  them ; 
nor  the  priests,  because  they  were  dumb  dogs,  and  had  also 
led  away  the  people  from  God's  pure  worship  into  false  super- 
stitions ;  and  so  great  was  their  avidity  for  filthy  lucre,  that 
they  perverted  the  law  and  every  tiling  that  was  before  pure 
among  the  people.  It  is  no  wonder  then  that  the  Prophet, 
while  treating  a  general  subject,  suitable  to  all  orders  indis- 
criminately, should  yet  denounce  judgment  on  the  priests  and 
the  king's  counsellors.  With  regard  to  these  counsellors, 
they,  in  order  to  confirm  the  kingdom,  had  also  approved  of 
false  and  spurious  forms  of  worship,  as  it  has  been  before 
stated  ;  and  they  had  also  followed  other  vices  ;  for  the  Pro- 
phet, I  doubt  not,  condemns  here  other  corruptions  besides 
superstitions,  and  those  which  we  know  everywhere  prevailed 
among  the  people,  and  of  which  something  has  been  already 
said. 

And  to  sliow  his  earnestness,  he  uses  three  sentences  :  Ye 
priests,  hear  this;  then,  house  of  Israel,  attend ;  and  in  the 
third  place,  house  of  the  king,  give  ear ;  as  though  he  said, 
"  In  vain  do  they  seek  subterfuges,  for  the  Lord  will  execute 
on  them  the  judgment  he  now  declares:"  and  yet  he  gives 
them  opportunity  and  time  for  repentance,  inasmuch  as  he 
bids  them  to  attend  to  this  denunciation. 

Now  this  passage  teaches,  that  even  kings  are  not  exempted 
from  the  duty  of  learning  what  is  commonly  taught,  if  they 
wish  to  be  counted  members  of  the  Church ;  for  the  Lord 
would  have  all,  without  exception,  to  be  ruled  by  his  word; 
and  he  takes  this  as  a  proof  of  men's  obedience,  their  submis- 
'  sion  to  his  word.  And  as  kings  tliink  themselves  separated 
from  the  general  class  of  men,  the  Prophet  here  shows  that 
he  was  sent  to  the  king  and  his  counsellors.  The  same  rea- 
son holds  good  as  to  priests  ;  for  as  the  dignity  of  their  order 
is  the  highest,  so  this  impiety  has  prevailed  in  all  ages,  that 
the  priests  think  themselves  at  liberty  to  do  what  they  please. 
The  Prophet  therefore  shows,  that  they  are  not  raised  up  so 


CHAP.  V.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  183 

much  on  high,  but  that  the  Lor(,I  shines  eminently  above  their 
heads  with  his  word.  Let  us  know,  lastly,  that  in  the  Church 
the  word  of  God  so  possesses  the  highest  rank,  that  neither 
priests,  nor  kings,  nor  their  counsellors,  can  claim  a  privilege 
to  themselves,  as  though  their  conduct  was  not  to  be  subject 
to  God's  word. 

This  then  is  a  remarkable  passage  for  establishing  the  word 
of  God  :  and  thus  we  see  how  abominable  is  the  boast  of  the 
Papal  clergy  of  this  day;  for  they  spread  before  us  the  mask 
of  the  priesthood,  when  the  word  of  God  is  brought  forward, 
as  though  they  would  outshine  by  the  splendour  of  their  dig- 
nity the  whole  Law,  all  the  Prophets,  and  the  very  Gospel. 
But  the  Lord  here  upholds  his  word  against  all  degrees  of 
men,  and  shows  that  both  kings  and  priests  must  be  brought 
down  from  their  eminence,  that  they  may  obey  the  Avord. 
Yea,  we  must  bear  in  mind  what  I  have  before  said,  that 
though  the  whole  people  had  sinned,  yet  kings  and  priests 
are  here  in  a  special  manner  reproved,  because  they  de- 
served a  heavier  punishment,  inasmuch  as  by  their  depraved 
examples  they  had  corrupted  the  whole  people. 

When  he  compares  them  to  snares  and  nets,  I  do  not  then 
confine  this  to  one  thing ;  but  as  the  contagion  among  the 
whole  people  had  proceeded  from  the  priests  and  the  king's 
counsellors,  and  also  from  the  king  himself,  the  Prophet  com- 
pares them,  not  without  reason,  to  snares ;  not  only  because 
they  were  the  authors  of  superstitions,  but  also  because  they 
perverted  judgment  and  all  equity.     Let  us  go  on — 

2.  And  the  revolters  are  profound  to  2.  Et  jugulando  declinantes 
make  slaughter,  though  I  have  been  a  proftindaveruut  :  '  ego  autem 
rebuker  of  them  all.  correctio  illis  omnibus. 

The  verb  tonSy?  shecheth,  means  to  kill,  to  sacrifice ;  and 
this  place  is  usually  explained  of  sacrifices  ;  and  this  opinion 

^  Kespecting  this  clause,  Poole  says,  locus  obscurissimus — a  most  ob- 
scm-e  place.  But  of  all  the  explanations  given,  the  one  offered  by  Cal- 
vin seems  the  best.    Horsley's  version  seems  fanciful, — 

'  Prickers  have  made  deep  slaughter.' 
By  'Prickers'  he  means  attendants  on  tlie  chase. 
Newcomc's  version  seems  more  probable, — 

'  And  the  revolters  have  made  deep  the  slaughter  of  victims  ;' 

that  is,  multiplied  their  sacrifices  ;  but  this  comports  not  well  Avith  the 
clause  which  follows. — Ed. 


184  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS,        LECT.  XIII. 

I  do  not  reject.  But  though  the  Prophet  spake  of  sacrifices, 
he  no  doubt  called  sacrificing,  in  contempt,  killing  :  as  though 
one  should  call  the  temple,  the  shambles,  and  the  killing  of 
victims,  slaughtering ;  so  also  the  Prophet  says,  In  sacrificing 
and  killing,  they,  having  turned  aside,  have  become  deeply  fixed; 
that  is,  By  turning  aside  to  their  own  sacrificings,  they  have 
completely  hardened  their  hearts,  so  that  their  depravity  is 
incurable.  For  by  saying  that  they  had  gone  deep,  the 
meaning  is,  that  they  were  so  addicted  to  their  own  supersti- 
tions, that  they  could  not  be  restored  to  a  sound  mind,  how- 
ever often  admonished  by  the  Prophets.  Yet  this  verb  has 
another  meaning  in  Scripture,  even  this,  that  men  flatter 
themselves  with  their  own  counsels,  and  think  that  by  twin- 
ing together  reasons  of  their  own,  they  can  deceive  God :  and 
this  metaphor  the  Prophets  employ  Avith  regard  to  profane 
despisers  of  God,  whom  they  call  D*5i /j  htsim,  mockers :  for 
these,  Avhile  they  deceive  men,  think  that  they  have  nothing 
to  do  with  God.  The  same  we  see  at  this  day :  courtiers 
and  proud  men  of  the  same  character,  flatter  themselves  with 
their  owa.  deceptions,  and  complacently  laugh  at  our  simpli- 
city ;  because  they  think  that  wisdom  was  born  with  them, 
and  that  it  is  enclosed  as  it  were  within  their  brains.  But  I 
know  not  whether  this  idea  is  suitable  to  this  passage.  That 
simpler  meaning  Avhich  I  have  already  stated,  I  prefer,  and 
that  is,  that  the  Israelites  were  so  obstinate  in  their  supersti- 
tions, that  they  perversely  despised  all  counsels,  all  admoni- 
tions, yea,  that  they  petulantly  resisted  every  instruction. 

But  each  word  must  be  noticed :  turning  aside  hi  sacri- 
ficing, he  says,  they  became  deep.  By  saying,  that  they  had 
turned  aside  in  sacrificing,  he  no  doubt  makes  a  distinction 
between  false  and  strange  forms  of  worship  and  the  true 
worship  of  God,  prescribed  in  the  law.  The  frequency  of 
sacrificing  could  not  indeed  have  been  condemned  in  itself 
either  as  to  the  Israelites  or  the  Jews  ;  but  they  turned 
aside,  that  is,  departed  fi'om  what  the  law  prescribes.  Hence 
the  more  zealously  they  engaged  in  sacrificing,  and  the  more 
victims  they  ofi^ered  to  God,  the  more  they  provoked  God's 
vengeance  against  themselves.  We  then  see  that  the  Pro- 
phet points  out  here  as  by  the  finger  the  sin  he  reproved  in 


CHAP.  V.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  185 

the  people  of  Israel,  and  that  was, — they  sacrificed  not  ac- 
cording to  God's  command  and  according  to  the  ritual  of  the 
law,  but  turned  aside  and  followed  their  own  devices.  Hence 
it  is,  that  in  contempt  and  in  scorn  he  calls  their  sacrificing, 
killing,  or  cutting  the  throat :  "  they  are,"  he  says,  "  execu- 
tioners," or,  "  they  are  butchers.  What  is  it  to  me,  that  they 
bring  their  victims  with  great  pomp  and  show  ?  that  they 
use  so  many  ceremonies?  I  repudiate,"  the  Lord  says,  "the 
whole  of  this ;  it  is  profane  butchering ;  these  slaughterings 
have  nothing  in  common  with  the  worship  which  I  approve." 

That  our  sacrifices  then  may  please  God,  they  must  be 
according  to  the  rule  of  his  word ;  for  '  obedience,'  as  it  has 
been  said  already,  '  is  better  than  all  sacrifices,'  (1  Sam.  xv. 
22.)  But  when  men  betake  themselves  to  false  forms  of 
worship  or  such  as  are  invented,  nothing  then  is  holy  or 
acceptable  to  God,  but  an  abominable  filth.  And  further, 
the  Prophet,  as  I  have  said,  not  only  accuses  the  people  of 
having  turned  aside  to  perverted  forms  of  worship,  but  also 
of  having  become  obstinately  fixed  in  them.  They  have  be- 
come deep,  he  says,  in  their  superstitions :  as  he  said  before, 
that  they  were  fast  joined  to  their  idols,  that  they  could  not 
be  torn  away  from  them ;  so  also  he  says  now,  that  they 
were  deeply  rooted  in  their  iniquity. 

It  follows.  And  I  have  been,  or  will  be,  a  correction  to  them 
all.  Some  think  that  the  Prophet  in  the  person  of  God 
threatens  the  Israelites,  that  God  declares  that  he  himself 
would  become  the  avenger,  because  the  people  had  so  stub- 
bornly followed  wicked  superstitions, — "  I  sit  as  a  judge  in 
heaven,  nor  will  I  suflfer  you  to  fall  away  with  impunity, 
since  you  are  become  so  hardened  in  your  wickedness."  But 
they  are  more  correct  who  think  that  their  sin  was  more  in- 
creased by  this  circumstance,  that  God  by  his  Prophets  had 
not  ceased  to  recall  the  Israelites  to  a  sound  mind,  since  they 
might  not  have  been  wholly  irreclaimable :  /  have  been  to 
them  a  correction  ;  that  is,  "  They  cannot  excuse  themselves 
and  say,  that  they  had  fallen  through  error  and  ignorance  ; 
for  there  has  been  in  them  a  wilful  obstinacy,  as  I  have  not 
ceased  to  show  them  the  right  way  by  my  Pi'ophets.  I  have, 
then,  beeii  a  correction  to  them ;  but  I  could  not  bend  them,  so 


186  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIII. 

Indomitable  has  been  that  stubbornness,  or  rather  madness, 
with  which  they  were  inflamed  towards  their  idols."  It  is 
now  seen  which  of  the  two  views  I  deem  the  most  correct. 

But  I  will  adduce  a  third :  God  may  be  thought  to  be 
here  complaining  that  he  had  been  an  object  of  dislike  to  the 
Israelites,  as  though  he  said,  "  When  I  sent  my  Prophets, 
they  could  not  bear  to  be  admonished,  because  my  word  was 
too  bitter  for  them."  Reproofs  are  not  easily  endured  by  men. 
We  indeed  know,  that  those  who  are  ill  at  ease  with  them- 
selves, are  yet  not  willing  to  hear  any  reproof :  every  one 
who  deceives  himself,  wishes  to  be  deceived  by  others.  As 
then  the  ears  of  men  are  so  tender  and  delicate,  that  they 
will  patiently  receive  no  reproof,  this  meaning  seems  not 
inappropriate,  /  have  been  to  them  all  a  correction,  that  is, 
"  My  doctrine  has  been  by  them  rejected,  because  it  had  in 
it  too  much  asperity."  But  the  other  explanation,  which  I 
have  mentioned  as  the  second,  has  been  more  approved  :  I 
was,  however,  unwillmg  to  omit  what  seems  to  me  to  be  no 
less  suitable. 

We  may  now  choose  or  receive  either  of  these  two  expo- 
sitions,— either  that  the  Lord  here  takes  away  from  the 
Israelites  the  excuse  of  error,  because  he  had  continued  to 
reprove  their  vices  by  his  Prophets, — or  that  he  expostulates 
with  the  Israelites  for  having  rejected  his  word  on  the 
ground  that  it  was  too  rigid  and  severe  :  yet  this  main  thing 
will  still  remain  the  same,  that  the  people  of  Israel  were  not 
only  apostates,  having  fallen  away  from  the  lawfrd  worship  of 
God  into  their  own  superstitions,  but  were  also  contumacious 
and  refractory  in  their  wickedness,  so  that  they  would  re- 
ceive no  instruction,  no  salutary  counsels.   Let  us  proceed — 

3.   I  Icnow  Ephi-aim,  and  Israel        3.  Ego  cognovi  Ephraim,  et  Is- 

is  not  bid  from  mc :   for  now,  O  rael  uou  est  abscouditus  a  me  :  quia 

Ephraim,  thou  committest  whore-  tu  scortatus  es  Ephraim,  pollutus 

dom,  and  Israel  is  defiled.  est  Israel. 

God  shows  here  that  he  is  not  pacified  by  the  vain  excuses 
which  hypocrites  allege,  and  by  which  they  think  that  the 
judgment  of  God  himself  can  be  turned  away.  We  see  what 
great  dulness  there  is  in  many,  when  God  reproves  them, 
and  brings  to  light  their  vices ;  for  they  defend  themselves 


CHAP.  V.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  187 

with  vain  and  frivolous  excuses,  and  think  that  they  thus  put 
a  restraint  on  God,  so  that  he  dares  not  urge  them  any  more. 
In  this  way  hypocrites  elude  every  truth.  But  God  here 
testifies,  that  men  are  greatly  deceived  when  they  thus 
judge,  by  their  own  perception,  of  that  celestial  tribunal  to 
which  they  are  summoned ;  /,  he  says,  know  Ephraim,  and 
Israel  is  not  hid  from  me.  There  is  to  be  understood  an  im- 
plied contrast,  as  though  he  said,  that  they  were  ignorant  of 
themselves  ;  for  they  covered  their  vices,  as  I  have  said,  with 
fiivolous  excuses.  God  testifies  that  his  eyes  were  not  daz- 
zled with  such  fine  pretences.  "How  much  soever,  then,  Eph- 
raim and  Israel  may  excuse  themselves,  they  shall  not  escape 
my  judgment :  vain  and  absurd  are  these  shifts  which  they 
use  ;  I  indeed  am  not  ignorant." 

Let  us  then  learn  not  to  belie,  by  our  own  notions,  the 
judgment  of  God  ;  and  when  he  reproves  us  by  his  word,  let 
us  not  delude  ourselves  by  our  own  fancies ;  for  they  who 
harden  themselves  in  such  a  state  of  security  gain  nothing. 
God  sees  more  keenly  than  men.  Let  us,  then,  beware  of 
spreading  a  veil  over  our  sins,  for  God's  eyes  penetrate 
through  all  such  excuses. 

That  he  names  Ephraim  particularly,  was  not  done,  we 
know,  without  reason.  From  that  tribe  sprang  the  first 
Jeroboam :  it  was  therefore  by  way  of  honour  that  the  name  of 
Ephraim  was  given  to  the  ten  tribes.  But  the  Prophet  names 
Ephraim  here,  who  thought  themselves  superior  to  the  other 
tribes,  by  way  of  reproach  :  /  know  them,  and  Israel  is  not  hid 
from  me.  He  afterwards  expresses  what  he  knew  of  the 
people,  which  was,  that  Ephraim  loas  wanton,  and  that  Israel 
was  polluted;  as  though  he  said,  "Contend  as  you  please; 
but  you  will  do  so  without  profit :  I  have  indeed  my  ears 
stunned  by  your  lies ;  but  after  you  have  adduced  every- 
thing, after  you  have  sedulously  pleaded  your  own  cause, 
and  have  omitted  nothing  which  may  serve  for  an  excuse, 
the  fact  still  will  be,  that  you  are  wantons  and  polluted."  In 
short,  the  Prophet  confirms  in  this  second  clause  what  I 
have  before  stated,  that  men,  when  they  flatter  themselves, 
deceive  themselves;  for  God  in  the  meantime  condemns 
them,  and  allows  no  disguise  of  this  kind.     Israel  and  Eph- 


188  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XIII. 

raim  gloried,  then,  in  their  superstitions,  as  though  they  held 
God  bound  to  them  :  "  This  is  wantonness,"  he  says,  "  This 
is  pollution."  The  Prophet  indeed  does  here  cut  oflP  the 
handle  from  all  those  self-deceptions  which  men  use  as  rea- 
sons, when  they  defend  fictitious  forms  of  worship  ;  for  God 
from  on  high  proclaims,  that  all  are  polluted  who  turn  aside 
from  his  word. 

4.  They  will  not  frame  their  doings        4.   Non  acljicient  studia  sua, 

to  turn  unto  their  God :  for  the  spirit  ut  convertantur    ad  Deum  su- 

of  whoredoms  is    in    the   midst   of  urn :  quia  spu-itus  fornicationum 

them,  and  they  have  not  known  the  in  medio  ipsorum,  et  Jehovam 

Lord.  non  noverunt. 

Some  translate  thus,  "  their  inclinations  allow  them  not  to 
turn  themselves  ;"  and  this  meaning  is  probable,  that  is,  that 
they  were  so  much  given  to  their  own  superstitions,  that 
they  were  not  now  free,  or  at  liberty,  to  return  to  the  right 
way ;  as  though  the  Prophet  said,  "  They  are  entirely  en- 
slaved by  their  own  diabolical  inventions,  that  their  inclina- 
tions will  not  allow  them  to  repent."  But  the  former  meaning 
(it  is  also  more  generally  approved)  seems  more  adapted  to 
the  context.  Thet/  loill  not  apj^^y^  he  says,  their  endeavours 
to  turn  to  their  God.  Here  God  declares  that  it  was  all  over 
with  the  people,  and  that  no  hope  whatever  remained :  as  he 
said  before,  "  Leave  them,  why  shouldest  thou  do  anything 
more  ?  for  they  will  not  receive  wholesome  instruction ;  as 
they  are  entirely  given  up  to  destruction,  there  is  now  no 
reason  for  thee  to  be  solicitous  about  their  salvation,  for  that 
would  be  useless  ;" — so  also  he  says  in  this  place.  They  icill 
not  apply  their  endeavours  to  turn  to  their  God. 

If  the  Prophet  speaks  here  in  his  own  person,  the  meaning 
is,  "  Why  do  I  weary  myself?  God  has  indeed  commanded 
me  to  reprove  this  people  ;  but  I  find  that  my  labour  is  in 
vain ;  for  I  have  to  do  with  brute  animals,  or  with  stones 
rather  than  with  men  ;  there  is  in  them  no  reason,  no  discern- 
ment ;  for  the  devil  has  fascinated  their  minds  :  never,  then, 
will  they  apply  their  endeavours  to  turn  to  their  God."  If 
we  prefer  to  view  the  sentence  as  spoken  in  the  person  of 
God,  still  the  doctrine  will  remain  nearly  the  same  :  God 
here  declares  that  the  people  were  incurable.   Never,  then,  loill 


CHAP.  V.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  189 

they  apply  their  endeavours.  How  so  ?  For  they  are  sunk,  as 
it  were,  into  a  deep  gulf,  and  their  obstinacy  is  like  the 
abyss.  Inasmuch,  then,  as  they  are  thus  fixed  in  their  su- 
perstitions, they  will  never  apply  their  endeavours  to  turn  to 
their  God. 

But  God  in  the  meantime  not  only  shows  here,  that  there 
was  no  more  any  remedy  for  the  diseases  of  the  people;  but 
he  also  gravely  and  severely  reprobates  their  iniquity,  be- 
cause they  thought  not  of  seeking  reconciliation  with  their 
God ;  as  though  he  said,  "  What,  then,  do  I  require  of  these 
wretched  men,  but  to  return  to  their  God  ?  This  they  ought 
to  have  done  of  their  own  accord  ;  but  now,  when  they  are 
admonished,  they  care  not ;  on  the  contrary,  they  fiercely 
resist  wholesome  instruction.  Is  not  this  a  strange  and  mon- 
strous madness  ?"  We  hence  see  that  there  is  an  important 
meaning  in  the  words,  They  will  not  apply  their  endeavours  to 
return  to  their  God;  for  the  Prophet  might  have  simply  said, 
*'  to  return  to  Jehovah,"  or  "  to  God ;"  but  he  says,  to  their 
God,  and  he  says  so,  because  God  had  made  himself  fami- 
liarly known  to  them,  nay,  brought  them  up  in  his  own 
bosom,  as  though  they  were  his  children  and  he  their  Fa- 
ther :  they  had  forsaken  him  and  had  become  apostates ; 
and  when  the  Lord  would  now  reprove  this  perfidy,  was  it 
not  strange  that  the  people  should  close  their  ears  and  harden 
their  hearts  against  every  instruction  ?  We  hence  see  how 
sharp  this  reproof  is. 

And  he  says,  Because  the  spirit  of  wantonness  is  in  the  midst 
of  them;  that  is,  they  are  so  pleased  with  their  own  filthiness, 
that  there  is  no  shame,  no  fear.  But  the  reason  of  this  com- 
parison, which  I  have  before  explained,  must  be  borne  in  mind. 
As  a  wife,  though  not  faithful  to  her  husband,  yet  retains 
still  some  modesty,  as  long  as  she  continues  at  home,  and 
while  she  is  in  any  place  classed  with  faithful  and  chaste  wo- 
men ;  but  when  she  once  enters  a  brothel,  and  openly  prosti- 
tutes herself  to  all,  when  she  knows  that  her  baseness  is  uni- 
versally known,  she  then  throws  off  every  shame,  and  entirely 
forgets  her  own  character :  so  also  the  Prophet  says,  that 
the  spirit  of  wantonness  was  in  the  midst  of  the  people  of  Israel ; 
as  though  he  said,  "  The  Israelites  are  so  imbrued  with  their 


190  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XIII. 

sui^erstitions,  that  they  cannot  now  be  touched  or  moved  by 
any  reverence  for  God ;  they  cannot  be  restored  to  the  right 
way,  for  the  devil  has  demented  them,  and  having  cast  off 
every  shame,  they  a,re  like  abominable  strumpets." 

And  he  afterwards  adds,  Jehovah  they  have  not  known. 
By  this  sentence  the  Prophet  extenuates  not  the  sin  of  the 
people,  but,  on  the  contrary,  amplifies  their  ingratitude,  be- 
cause they  had  forgotten  their  God,  who  had  so  indulgently 
treated  them.  As  they  had  been  redeemed  by  God's  hand, 
as  the  teaching  of  the  law  had  continued  among  them,  as  they 
had  been  preserved  to  that  day  through  God's  constant  kind- 
ness, it  was  truly  an  evidence  of  monstrous  ignorance,  that 
they  could  in  an  instant  adopt  ungodly  forms  of  worship,  and 
embrace  those  corruptions  which  they  knew  were  condemned 
in  the  law.  It  was  surely  an  inexcusable  wickedness  in  the 
people  thus  to  withdraw  themselves  from  their  God.  This  is 
the  reason  why  the  Prophet  now  says,  that  they  knew  not  Je- 
hovah. But  if  they  were  asked  the  cause,  they  could  not  have 
said,  that  they  had  no  light ;  for  God  had  made  known  to 
them  the  way  of  salvation.  Hence,  that  they  knew  not  Je- 
hovah, was  to  be  imputed  to  their  perverseness  ;  for,  closing 
their  eyes,  they  knowingly  and  wilfully  ran  headlong  after 
those  wicked  devices,  which  they  knew,  as  it  had  been  stated 
before,  to  be  condemned  by  God. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  coutinuest  daily  to  exhort 
us,  and  though  thou  seest  us  often  turning  aside  fi-oni  the  right 
coiu-se,  thou  yet  ceasest  not  to  stretch  forth  thy  hand  to  us,  and 
also  to  rouse  us  by  reproofs,  that  we  may  repent, — O  grant, 
that  we  may  not  be  permitted  to  reject  thy  word  with  such  per- 
verseness as  thou  condemnest  here  in  thine  ancient  people  by 
the  mouth  of  thy  Prophet ;  but  rule  us  by  thy  Spuit,  that  we 
may  meekly  and  obediently  submit  to  thee,  and  with  such  teach- 
ableness, that  if  we  have  not  hitherto  been  willing  to  become 
wise,  wc  may  not  at  least  be  incm-able,  but  suffer  thee  to  heal 
our  diseases,  so  that  we  may  tnily  repent,  and  be  so  wholly 
given  to  obey  thee,  as  never  to  attempt  any  thing  beyond  the 
rule  of  thy  word,  and  without  that  wisdom  which  thou  hast  re- 
vealed to  us,  not  only  by  Moses  and  thy  Prophets,  but  also  by 
thy  only -begotten  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


CUAP.  V.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  191 


lecture  4fourtefnti^. 

5.  And  the  pride  of  Israel  doth  5.  Et  respondebit  (vel,  testificabi- 

testify  to  his  face  :  therefore  shall  tiu-)  superbia  Israel  ad  faciein  ejus  : 

Israel  and  Ephraim  fall  in  their  Israel  ergo  et  Ephraim  concideut  in 

iniquity;  Judah  also  shall  fall  with  sua  iniquitate  ;  concidet  etiam  Jehu- 

them.  dah  cum  ipsis. 

The  Prophet  having  condemned  the  IsraeHtes  on  two  ac- 
counts— for  having  departed  from  the  true  God — and  for  hav- 
ing obstinately  refused  every  instruction,  now  adds,  that  God's 
vengeance  was  nigh  at  hand.  Testify  then  shall  the  -pride  of 
Israel  in  his  face ;  that  is,  Israel  shall  find  what  it  is  thus 
to  resist  God  and  his  Prophets.  The  Prophet  no  doubt  ap- 
plies the  word,  pride,  to  their  contempt  of  instruction,  be- 
cause they  were  so  swollen  with  vain  confidence,  as  to  think 
that  wrong  was  done  them  whenever  the  Prophets  reproved 
them.  It  must  at  the  same  time  be  observed,  that  they  were 
thus  refractory,  because  they  were  like  persons  inebriated 
with  their  own  pleasures;  for  we  know  that  while  men  enjoy 
prosperity,  they  are  more  insolent,  according  to  that  old  pro- 
verb, "  Satiety  begets  ferocity." 

Some  think  that  the  verb  11^^)  one,  means  here  ''to  be 
humbled ;"  and  this  sense  is  not  unsuitable  :  "  The  pride  of 
Israel  shall  then  be  humbled  before  his  face."  But  another 
exposition  has  been  most  approved ;  I  am  therefore  inclined  to 
embrace  it,  and  that  is,  that  God  needed  no  other  witness  to 
convict  Israel  than  their  own  pride ;  and  we  know  hat  when 
any  one  becomes  hardened,  he  thinks  that  there  is  to  be  no 
judgment,  and  has  no  thought  of  rendering  an  account  to 
God,  for  his  pride  takes  away  every  fear.  For  this  reason 
the  Prophet  says,  "  God  will  convict  you,  because  ye  have 
been  hitherto  so  proud,  that  he  could  effect  nothing  by  his 
warnings." 

But  he  adds,  Israel  and  Ej)hraim  shall  fall  in  their  iniquity. 
He  pursues  the  same  subject,  which  is,  that  they  in  vain  pro- 
mised impunity  to  themselves,  for  the  Lord  had  now  resolved 
to  punish  them.  He  adds,  Judah  also  shall  fall  with  them. 
The  Prophet  may  seem  to  contradict  himself;  for  when  he 
before  tlu'eatened  the  people  of  Israel,  he  spoke  of  the  safety 


192  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIV. 

of  Judah, — '  Judah  shall  be  saved  by  his  God,  not  by  the 
sword,  nor  by  the  bow.'  Since  then  the  Prophet  had  before 
distinguished  or  made  a  difference  between  the  ten  tribes  and 
the  kingdom  of  Judah,  how  is  it  that  he  now  puts  them  all 
together  without  any  distinction  ?  To  this  I  answer,  that 
the  Prophet  speaks  here  not  of  those  Jews  who  continued  in 
true  and  pure  religion,  but  of  those  who  had  with  the  Israel- 
ites alienated  themselves  from  the  only  true  God,  and  joined 
in  their  superstitions.  He  then  refers  here  to  the  degenerate 
and  not  to  the  faithful  Jews ;  for  to  all  who  worshipped  God 
aright,  salvation  had  been  abeady  promised.  But  as  many  as 
had  abandoned  themselves  to  the  common  superstitions,  he 
declares  that  a  common  punishment  was  nigh  them  all.  The 
Jews  then  shall  fall  together,  that  is,  "  As  many  of  the  Jews 
as  have  followed  impious  forms  of  worship  and  other  deprav- 
ations, shall  not  escape  God's  judgment."  We  now  then  per- 
ceive the  true  meaning  of  the  Prophet.     It  now  foUows — 

G.  They  shall  go  with  their  flocks  6.  Cum  ovibus  suis  et  cum  ar- 
and  with  their  herds  to  seek  the  Lord ;  mentis  suis  ibuut  ad  qusereudum 
but  they  shall  not  find  him :  he  hath  Jehovam,  et  non  invenient :  sub- 
withdrawn  himself  from  them.  duxit  se  ab  iUis. 

The  Prophet  here  laughs  to  scorn  the  hypocrisy  of  the 
people,  because  they  thought  they  had  ready  at  hand  a  way 
of  dealing  with  God,  which  was,  to  pacify  him  with  their  sa- 
crifices. He  therefore  shows  that  neither  the  Israelites  nor 
the  Jews  would  gain  any  thing  by  accumulating  burnt-oflFer- 
ings,  for  they  could  not  in  this  way  return  into  favour  with 
God.  He  thereby  intimates  that  God  requires  true  repent- 
ance, and  that  he  will  not  be  reconciled  to  men,  except  from 
the  heart  they  seek  him,  and  consecrate  themselves  to  his 
service ;  and  not  because  they  offer  brute  beasts.  The  faith- 
ful, no  doubt,  expiated  their  sins  at  that  time  by  sacrifices, 
but  only  typically :  for  they  knew  for  what  end  and  purpose 
God  had  made  the  law  concerning  sacrifices,  and  that  was, 
that  the  sinner,  being  reminded  by  the  sight  of  the  victim, 
might  confess  himself  to  be  worthy  of  eternal  death,  and  thus 
flee  to  God's  mercy,  and  look  to  Christ  and  his  sacrifice ;  for 
in  him,  and  no  where  else,  is  to  be  found  true  and  effectual 
expiation.     For  this  end  then  had  God  instituted  sacrifices  : 


CHAP.  V.  G.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  193 

SO  the  faithful,  while  offering  sacrifices,  did  not  suppose  any 
satisfaction  to  be  done  by  the  external  work,  nor  even  ima- 
gined it  to  be  the  price  of  redemption ;  but  they  exercised 
themselves  in  these  rites  in  faith  and  repentance. 

The  Prophet  now,  by  implication,  sets  oxen,  and  rams,  and 
Iambs,  in  opposition  to  spiritual  sacrifices;  for  a  contrast  is  to 
be  understood  in  the  words.  They  shall  come  with  their  sheep, 
&c.  What  bring  they  to  God's  presence  ?  They  bring,  he 
says,  only  their  rams,  they  bring  oxen  ;  but  God  commands 
what  is  far  different :  he  commands  men  to  consecrate  them- 
selves to  him,  and  that  in  a  spiritual  manner,  and  as  to  ex- 
ternal rites,  to  refer  them  to  Christ,  and  to  the  true  expiation, 
which  was  yet  hid  in  hope.  Since  then  the  Israelites  brought 
only  their  oxen  and  lambs  to  God,  they  in  vain  expected  him 
to  be  propitious  to  them;  for  he  is  not  pacified  by  such  trifles; 
inasmuch  as  every  one  who  separates  the  outward  sacrifice 
from  its  design,  brings  nothing  but  what  is  profane.  Indeed, 
the  true  and  lawful  consecration  is  by  the  word ;  and  by  the 
word  we  are  guided  to  faith  in  Christ,  we  are  guided  to  repent- 
ance :  when  these  are  neglected  and  disregarded,  and  men 
securely  trust  in  their  sacrifices,  they  do  nothing  but  mock 
God.  We  hence  see  that  the  Prophet  exposes  not  here  with- 
out reason  this  folly  of  the  Israelites,  that  they  sought  God 
tcith  their  Jiocks  and  their  herds. 

And  he  says,  They  shall  come,  or  shall  go,  to  seek  God.  By 
this  sentence  he  intimates  that  hypocrites  sedulously  labour 
to  reconcile  God  to  themselves ;  and  we  even  see  with  wdiat 
zeal  they  weary  themselves;  and  of  this  there  is  a  remarkable 
instance  at  this  day  in  the  Papists ;  for  they  spare  no  dili- 
gence, when  they  seek  to  pacify  God.  But  the  Prophet  says 
that  this  labour  is  vain  and  foolish.  "  Let  them  go,"  he  says, 
that  is,  "  Let  them  weary  themselves  ;  but  they  shall  do  so 
without  profit,  for  they  shall  not  find  God."  But  when  he 
says,  that  they  would  come  to  seek  Jehovah,  he  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood as  saying,  that  they  would  really  do  so  ;  for  hypo- 
crites turn  aside  from  God  by  circuitous  courses  and  wind- 
ings, rather  than  seek  access  to  him.  But  yet  they  propose 
it  as  their  final  intention,  as  they  speak,  to  seek  God  :  they 
do  not  indeed  come  afterwards  to  him  ;  nay,  they  dread  his 
VOL.  I.  N 


194  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIV. 

face,  and  shun  it  as  much  as  they  can ;  and  yet  when  one 
asks  them  what  they  intend  by  sacrificing  and  by  performing 
other  rites,  the  answer  is  ready  on  their  lips,  "We  worship 
God,"  that  is,  "  We  desire  to  worship  him."  Since  then 
hypocrites  are  wont  to  boast  of  this,  the  Prophet  speaks  by 
way  of  concession,  and  says,  They  shall  come  to  seek  God,  hut 
shall  not  find  him. 

The  Papists  of  this  day  pursue  a  similar  course,  when  they 
go  round  their  altars,  when  they  gad  away  to  perform  vowed 
pilgrimages,  when  they  whisper  their  prayers,  when  they 
hear  and  buy  masses ;  for  to  what  purpose  are  all  these 
things,  but  by  interposing  these  veils  to  escape  God's  judg- 
ment ?  They  know  themselves  to  be  exposed  to  his  judg- 
ment ;  their  conscience  forces  them  to  pacify  God  :  but  what 
do  they  in  the  meantime  ?  "  I  will  find  out  a  way  in  which  God 
will  not  pursue  me  :  let  this,  then,  be  the  price  of  redemp- 
tion, let  this  be  a  compensation."  In  a  word,  we  see  that  the 
Papists  mock  God  vrith  their  ceremonies,  that  they  have 
nothing  else  in  view  but  to  seek  hiding-places :  and  hence 
the  Lord  by  his  Prophet  complains,  that  his  temple  was  like 
a  den  of  robbers,  (Jer.  vii.  11 :)  for  men  securely  sin,  when 
they  publicly  offer  such  expiations.  Nay,  the  Papists,  when 
they  mutter  their  prayers,  say  that  the  final  intention  is 
pleasing  to  God,  though  they  may  wander  in  their  thoughts ; 
for  if,  Avhen  they  begin  to  pray,  it  should  come  to  their 
minds,  that  God  is  prayed  to,  though  they  may  not  attend 
to  their  prayers,  though  they  may  pollute  themselves  with 
many  depraved  lusts,  yet,  if  with,  the  mouth  they  utter 
prayers,  they  maintain  that  the  final  intention  pleases  God. — 
Why  ?  Because  their  design  is  to  seek  God.  This  is,  indeed, 
extremely  sottish  and  puerile  :  but,  as  I  have  already  said,  the 
Prophet  does  not  press  this  point,  but  concedes  to  the  Israel- 
ites what  they  pretended,  "  Ye  seek  God ;  but  yet  ye  run  not 
in  the  right  way  ;  and  these  circuitous  courses  will  not  lead 
you  to  God."  How  so  ?  "  For  ye  recede  farther  from  him." 
So  Isaiah  says,  '  She  will  greatly  weary  herself  in  her  ways :' 
but  in  the  meantime  she  followed  not  the  right  way,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  turned  aside  after  various  erroi's,  and  thus  re- 
ceded from  the  Lord,  and  came  not  to  him. 


I 


CHAP.  V.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  195 

By  saying,  that  God  had  removed  or  separated  himself  from 
them,  he  intimates  that  he  is  not  propitious  but  to  the  faith- 
ful, who  think  not  so  grossly  of  him,  as  to  seek  to  feed  him 
Avith  the  flesh  of  oxen  or  other  sacrifices,  or  to  pacify  him 
with  disagreeable  odour ;  but  who  seek  him  spiritually  and 
from  the  heart,  who  bring  true  repentance.  It  now 
follows — 

7.  They  have  dealt  treacherously  7.  Contra  Jehovam  (vel,  cum 
against  the  Lord :  for  they  have  begot-  Jehova)  perfide  egerunt :  quia 
ten  strange  children :  now  shall  a  filios  alienos  genuerunt :  nunc 
month  devour  them  with  their  por-  vorabit  eos  mensis  cum  por- 
tions, tionibus  suis. 

He  says  that  they  had  acted  perfidiously  with  God,  for  they 
had  violated  his  covenant.  We  must  bear  in  mind  what  I  have 
said  before  of  the  mutual  faith  which  God  stipulates  with  us, 
when  he  binds  himself  to  us.  God  then  covenants  with  us 
on  this  condition,  that  he  will  be  our  Father  and  Husband ; 
but  he  requires  from  us  such  obedience  as  a  son  ought 
to  render  to  his  father ;  he  requires  from  us  that  chastity 
which  a  wife  owes  to  her  husband.  The  Prophet  now 
charges  the  people  with  unfaithfulness,  because  they  had 
despised  the  true  God,  and  prostituted  themselves  to  idols. 

And  he  also  aggravates  this  crime  by  saying,  that  they 
had  begotten  strange  children :  for  he  intimates,  that  their 
condition  had  become  so  vitiated,  that  there  remained  no 
better  hope  as  to  their  posterity.  Some  explain  the  words, 
that  they  had  begotten  strange  children,  in  this  way, — that 
they  had  taken  wives  from  heathen  nations,  contrary  to  the 
law.  But  this  sense  is  very  frigid.  Others  understand,  that 
they  had  begotten  spurious  children,  because  they  brought 
up  their  children  badly,  having,  from  their  infancy,  attached 
them  to  depraved  superstitions.  This  is  indeed  true,  but  the 
Prophet,  as  I  have  already  said,  looked  further ;  he  meant 
that  the  Israelites  had  not  only  become  alienated  from  God, 
but  had  also  taken  away  every  hope  as  to  the  future.  It 
may  indeed  be,  and  it  sometimes  happens,  that  men  for  a 
time  abandon  themselves  to  many  vices,  and  afterwards 
return  to  the  right  way  ;  but  when  corruption  has  so  pre- 
vailed, that  the  children  are  infected  with  the  same  vices, 


19G  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XIV. 

and  impiety  itself  takes  full  possession  of  tliem,  then  the 
state  of  things  is  past  recovery.  We  now  then  see  that 
the  Prophet  means,  that  the  Israelites  were  not  only  cove- 
nant-breakers with  respect  to  God,  but  that  they  had  also 
led  their  children  into  the  same  perfidy,  so  that  there  was 
no  hope  of  repentance. 

He  therefore  subjoins  the  punishment.  Devour  them  shall  a 
month  together  icith  their  portions}  Some  restrict  the  word, 
month,  to  the  times  of  the  new  moon,  or  to  the  new  moons  ; 
and  these  days,  we  know,  were  festivals  among  the  Jews  : 
but  this  seems  too  far-fetched  and  strained.  The  Prophet 
therefore,  I  doubt  not,  takes  here  a  month  for  a  short  time  ; 
and  so  the  Hebrew  scholars  explain  it,  and  yet  they  do  not 
sufficiently  unfold  this  form  of  speaking.  Now,  the  Prophets 
are  wont  to  use  various  figures,  when  they  intend  to  mark 
out  a  short  time.  Isaiah  says,  '  Yet  for  three  years,  as  the 
time  of  a  hireling  :'  for  hirelings  were  wont  to  hire  themselves 
for  three  years ;  hence  he  says.  This  is  the  time  fixed  by  the 
Lord  as  the  appointed  day.  Contracts,  also,  we  know,  were 
then  monthly,  as  they  are  at  this  day  yearly,  both  with  re- 
ference to  the  interest  of  money  and  other  exchanges.  Since, 
then,  they  usually  made  agreements  for  single  months,  the 
Prophet  here,  I  have  no  doubt,  takes  a  month  metaphorically 
for  a  certain  and  fixed  time.  I  do  not  therefore  agree  with 
the  Hebrew  scholars,  who  say  that  only  a  short  time  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  Prophet ;  but  he  expresses  not  only  a  short, 
but  also  a  fixed  time  ;  and  he  did  this  that  the  Israelites  might 
not  vainly  look  for  any  deferring  or  respite  ;  for  hypocrites 
ever  procrastinate  and  extend  time  by  vain  delusions.  The 
Prophet  therefore  says  here,  A  month  shall  devour  them,  which 
means,  "  Vengeance  is  now  suspended  over  their  heads,  and 
this  they  shall  not  escape." 

And  he  says,  ivith  their  portions.  He  intimates  here,  no 
doubt,  that  though  they  then  overflowed  with  abundance, 
yet  nothing  would  be  a  help  to  them  to  keep  them  from 

1  "With  their  portions,"  i.e.,  their  allotments:  they  shall  be  totally 
dispossessed  of  their  country  ;  and  the  boundaries  of  the  separate  allot- 
ments of  the  several  tribes  shall  be  confounded  and  obliterated. — Bp. 
Jlorslry. 


CHAP.  V.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  197 

being  destroyed,  for  the  hand  of  God  was  against  them. 
VYe  indeed  know,  that  as  long  as  men  are  well  furnished 
with  provisions  and  protection,  they  are  not  very  solicitous 
about  their  state,  but  heedlessly  despise  whatever  dangers 
there  may  be  in  the  world  :  therefore  the  Prophet  says,  that 
though  they  were  opulent  and  well  supplied,  though  they 
possessed  every  kind  of  defence,  yet  nothing  would  avail  for 
their  safety,  but  a  month  should  devour  them,  together  with 
all  their  wealth.     It  follows — 

8.  Blow  ye  the  cornet  iu  Gibeah,  8.    Clangite    cornu    iu  Gibeah, 

and  the  trumpet  in  Ramah  :   cry  canite  tuba    in  Ramah,   buccinate 

aloud  at  Beth-aven,  after  thee,  O  etiam  in  Beth-aven,  post  te  Benja- 

Benjamin.  min. 

The  Prophet  speaks  here  more  emphatically,  and  there  is 
in  these  words  a  certain  lively  representation  (hypotyposis  ;) 
for  the  Prophet  assumes  here  the  character  of  a  herald,  or  he 
introduces  heralds  who  declare  and  proclaim  war.  The  truth 
itself  ought  indeed  to  storm  not  only  our  ears,  but  also  our 
hearts,  and  be  more  powerful  than  any  trumpet :  but  we  yet 
see  how  unconcerned  we  are.  Hence  the  Lord  is  constrained 
here  to  clothe  his  servant  with  the  character  of  a  herald,  or  at 
least  he  bids  his  servant  to  send  forth  heralds  to  proclaim 
war  everywhere  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel. 
This  was  not,  properly  speaking,  the  office  of  a  Prophet ; 
but  we  see  that  Ezekiel  was  ordered  by  the  Lord  to  besiege 
Jerusalem  for  a  time, — and  why  ?  Because  his  whole  teach- 
ing, after  the  Jews  had  been  a  thousand  times  threatened,  be- 
came frigid :  God  then  added  visions,  which  more  effectually 
roused  torpid  men.  So  also  does  Hosea  in  this  place.  Shout 
loith  the  ti'umpet  in  Gibeah^  hloio  the  cornet  in  Ramah,  and  sound 
the  horn  in  Beth-aven ;  for  God,  as  we  have  said,  is  pursuing 
Israel,  and  will  not  suffer  them  to  rest ;  so  that  the  Israelites 
might  know  that  God  threatens  not  in  vain,  that  his  reproofs 
are  not  bugbears,  but  that  he  deals  in  earnest  when  he  re- 
proves the  ungodly,  and  that  execution,  as  they  say,  will 
follow  what  he  teaches.  In  the  same  manner  does  Paul  also 
say,  '  Vengeance  is  prepared  by  us,  and  is  in  readiness  against 
all  those  who  extol  themselves  against  the  greatness  of  Christ, 


198  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS,  LECT.  XIV. 

how  great  soever  they  may  be/  (2  Cor.  x.  5,  6.)  As,  then,  the 
ungodly  are  wont  to  make  this  objection,  that  the  Prophets 
preach  nothing  but  words,  Hosea  here  testifies  that  he  did 
not  in  vain  terrify  men,  but  that  the  effect,  as  they  say, 
would  immediately  follow,  unless  they  reconciled  themselves 
to  God. 

Now,  as  we  perceive  the  Prophet's  purpose,  let  us  take 
care  to  receive  by  faith  that  peace  which  the  Lord  daily  pro- 
claims to  us  by  his  messengers.  For  what  is  the  Gospel  but 
what  Paul  declares  it  to  be  ?  '  We  discharo;e  the  office  of 
ambassadors,'  he  says,  '  for  Christ,  that  ye  may  be  reconciled 
to  God,  and  in  Christ's  name  we  exhort  vou  to  return  into 
favour  with  God,'  (2  Cor.  v.  20.)  We  then  see  that  all  the 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  are  God's  heralds,  who  invite  us  to 
peace,  and  promise  that  God  is  ready  to  grant  us  pardon,  if 
with  the  heart  we  seek  him.  But  if  we  receive  not  this  mes- 
sage and  this  embassy,  there  will  remain  for  us  the  dreadful 
judgment,  of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks,  and  our  impiety 
will  procure  for  us  this  awful  doom.  As  though  God  then 
were  now  declaring  war  against  all  the  ungodly  and  the  de- 
spisers  of  his  grace,  the  Prophet  says  that  they  shall  find  that 
God  is  armed  for  vengeance. 

Moreover,  the  Prophet  doubtless  has  here  mentioned  Gibeah, 
Ramah,  andBeth-aven,  because  in  these  places  great  assemblies 
usually  met ;  and  it  may  be  also  that  they  were  strong  fort- 
resses. Since  then  the  IsraeKtes  thought  themselves  uncon- 
querable, because  they  had  invincible  strongholds  against  their 
enemies,  the  Prophet  here  expressly  declares  war  against 
them.  Everywhere  then  sound  ye  the  trumpet,  or  blow  the 
horn,  or  blow  the  cornet,  especially  in  the  chief  places  of  the 
kingdom. 

Jifter  thee,  O  Benjamin.  Benjamin  is  here  to  be  taken,  by 
a  figure  of  speech,  for  the  whole  of  Israel,  because  he  was  a 
brother  of  Joseph  by  the  same  mother :  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min is  therefore  everywhere  joined  with  Ephraim.  It  is  at 
the  same  time  certain,  that  the  Prophet  confines  not  here  his 
address  to  one  tribe,  but  includes,  under  one  tribe  or  one  part, 
the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel.     It  follows — 


CHAP.  V.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  199 

9.  Ephraim  shall  be  desolate  in  the        9.  Ephraim  in  vastitatem  erit 

day  of  rebuke :   among  the  tribes  of  in  die  con-ectionis  :   in  tribibus 

Israel  have  I  made  known  that  which  Israel  docui  veritatem  (intelligere 

shall  sm-ely  be.  feci,  ad  verbum.) 

Here  the  Prophet  asserts,  without  any  figure,  that  their 
chastisement  would  not  be  slight  or  paternal,  but  that  God 
would  punish  the  Israelites  as  they  deserved,  that  he  would 
reduce  them  to  nothing.  God,  we  know,  sometimes  spares 
the  ungodly,  while  he  chastises  them  :  signs  of  his  wrath 
daily  appear  through  the  whole  world ;  but  at  the  same  time 
they  are  moderate  punishments  which  God  inflicts  on  men  ; 
and  he  in  a  manner  invites  them  to  repentance,  when  he  thus 
mercifully  chastises  their  sins.  But  the  Prophet  says  here, 
that  God  would  no  longer  act  in  this  manner;  for  he  would 
destroy  and  wholly  blot  out  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel. 
They  had  been  already  often  warned,  not  only  in  words,  but 
also  in  deed,  and  had  often  felt  the  wrath  of  God ;  but  they 
still  persisted  in  their  course.  And  now,  as  God  saw  that 
they  were  wholly  stupid,  he  says.  Now,  in  the  day  of  correc- 
tion, Ephraim  shall  he  for  desolation ;  as  though  he  said,  "  I 
will  not  correct  Israel  as  heretofore,  for  they  have  been  be- 
fore in  various  Avays  chastised,  but  have  not  repented  ;  I  will 
therefore  now  lay  aside  those  paternal  corrections  which  I 
have  hitherto  used,  for  I  have  in  vain  applied  such  remedies  : 
I  will  then  henceforth  so  correct  Israel,  that  they  shall  be 
entirely  destroyed."  We  now  comprehend  the  Prophet's 
meaning. 

But  this  is  a  remarkable  passage  ;  for  men  are  always  slow 
and  dilatory  ;  even  when  God  pricks  them,  as  it  were,  with 
goads,  they  remain  slothful  in  their  sins.  God  adds  correc- 
tions, one  after  the  other ;  and  when  he  sees  men  continuing 
as  it  were  out  of  their  senses,  he  then  testifies  that  it  is  no 
time  for  reproof,  but  that  final  destruction  is  at  hand.  We 
hence  see  that  every  hope  is  here  cut  off  from  the  Israelites, 
that  they  might  not  think  that  they  would  be  punished  in 
the  usual  way  for  their  sins  ;  for  as  soon  as  the  Lord  would 
begin  to  reprehend  them,  he  would  destroy  and  blot  out  their 
names :  Israel  then  shall  he  for  desolation  in  the  day  of  cor- 
rection. 


200  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIV. 

He  then  addsj    Through  the  tribes  of  Israel  I  have  made 
knoicn  the  truth.     Some  regard  this  sentence  as  spoken  in  the 
person  of  God,  and  refer  it  to  the  first  covenant  which  God 
made  with  the  whole  people ;  and  so  consider  this  to  be  the 
sense,  "  I  do  not  nOw  of  a  sudden  proceed  to  take  vengeance 
on  the  Israelites ;  for  I  have  begotten  this  people,  nourished 
them,  brought  them  up  to  manhood.     Since  this  is  the  case, 
there  is  now  no  reason  for  them  to  complain,  that  I  am  too 
precipitant  in  taking  vengeance."     This  is  one  meaning  :  but 
I  rather  incline  to  their  opinion,  who  regard  this  as  spoken  in 
the  person  of  the  Prophet ;  I  do  not  yet  follow  altogether 
their  opinion,  for  they  suppose  that  the  fault  of  the  people  in 
being  unteachable  is  alone  set  forth  :    /  have  made  known  the 
truth  through  the  tribes  of  Israel,  as  though  theProphet  hadsaid, 
"  This  people  is  unworthy  that  God  should  chastise  them  in 
a  paternal  manner,  for  they  have  hardened  themselves  in  their 
wickedness ;  and  though  they  have  been  more  than  sufficiently 
taught  their  duty,  they  have  yet  openly  despised  God,  and 
have  done  this,  not  through  ignorance,  but  through  perverse- 
ness  :  since  then  the  people  of  Israel  have  blinded  and  de- 
mented themselves,  as  it  were,  wilfully,  what  now  remains, 
but  that  God  will  bring  them  to  desolation  ?"     So  they  ex- 
pound this  place.     But  it  seems  to  me  that  a  protestation  is 
what  suits  this  passage  :    /  have  made  known  the  truth  through 
the  tribes  of  Israel,  as  though  he  said,  "  This  is  fixed  and  rati- 
fied, which  I  now  declare,  and  it  shall  certainly  be ;  let  then 
no  one  seek  any  escape  for  himself,  for  God  threatens  not 
now,  as  often  before,  for  the  purpose  of  recalling  men  to  re- 
pentance, but  declares  what  he  will  do." 

That  this  may  be  better  understood,  the  mode  of  speaking 
in  familiar  use  among  all  the  Prophets  is  to  be  noticed :  they 
often  threaten,  and  then  give  hope  of  pardon,  and  promise 
salvation,  so  that  they  seem  to  exhibit  some  sort  of  contradic- 
tion :  for  after  having  fulminated  against  the  people,  they 
come  at  once  to  preach  grace,  they  offer  salvation,  they  tes- 
tify that  God  will  be  propitious.  At  first  sight  the  Prophets 
seem  not  to  be  consistent  with  themselves.  But  the  solution 
is  easy,  for  they  threatened  vengeance  to  men  under  condi- 
tion ;  afterwards,  when  they  saw  some  fruit,  they  then  set 


CHAP.  V.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  201 

forth  the  mercy  of  God,  and  began  to  be  heralds  of  peace,  to 
reconcile  men  to  God,  and  make  an  agreement  between  them. 
Thus  our  Prophet  often  threatened  the  Israelites ;  and  had 
they  repented,  the  hope  of  salvation  would  not  have  been  cut 
off  from  them.  But  after  he  had  found  them  to  be  so  obsti- 
nate that  they  would  not  receive  any  instruction,  he  then 
said,  /  have  announced  the  truth  through  the  tribes  of  Israel^ 
that  is,  God  does  not  now  say,  "  Except  ye  repent,  you  are 
lost;''  but  he  speaks  positively;  because  he  sees  that  the  well- 
known  doctrine  has  been  despised :  this  then  is  the  truth.  It 
is  the  same  as  if  he  said,  "  This  is  the  last  denunciation, 
which  shall  be  fixed  and  unalterable." 

And  Jeremiah  also  speaks  in  the  same  manner  :  his  book 
is  full  of  various  threatenings  ;  and  yet  they  are  conditional 
threatenings.  But  after  God  had  taken  the  matter  in  hand, 
he  began  to  act  in  a  different  way :  "  I  now  call  you  no  more 
to  repentance,  I  contend  not  with  you,  I  do  not  now  set  forth 
God  as  a  judge,  that  ye  may  flee  to  him  for  mercy  ;  all  these 
things  are  come  to  an  end  ;  Avhat  remains  now,"  he  says,  "  is 
the  last  command,  to  show  that  you  are  now  past  hope." 
This  is  the  true  and  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet  here ;  and 
whosoever  will  consider  the  whole  context,  will  easily  perceive 
that  this  was  the  Prophet's  intention.  He  had  said  before, 
"  Ephraim  shall  be  for  desolation  in  the  day  of  correction," 
that  is,  "  The  Lord  will  no  longer  reprove  Ephraim  as  here- 
tofore, but  will  entirely  destroy  him  :"  then  he  adds,  I  have 
promulgated  or  published  the  truth  through  the  tribes  of  Israel: 
"  Now,"  he  says,  "  know  ye  that  vengeance  will  come  shortly, 
and  that  it  is  ratified  before  God ;  know  also  that  I  speak 
authoritatively,  as  if  the  hand  of  God  were  now  stretched 
forth  before  your  eyes."     Now  follows — 

PKAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  already  by  natiu-e  the  child- 
ren of  wi-ath,  and  yet  thou  hast  deigned  to  receive  us  into  fa- 
^'Our,  and  hast  set  before  us  a  sacred  pledge  of  thy  favour  in 
thine  only-begotten  Son,  and  that  as  we  have  not  yet  ceased 
often  to  provoke  thy  wrath  against  us,  and  also  to  fall  away  by 
shameful  perfidy  from  the  covenant  thou  hast  made  with  us, — 


202  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XV. 

O  gi-ant,  that  being  at  least  touched  bj  thy  admonitions,  we 
may  not  harden  oiu*  hearts  in  wickedness,  but  be  pliant  and 
teachable,  and  thus  endeavour  to  return  into  favour  with  thee, 
that  through  the  interceding  sacrifice  of  thy  Son,  we  may  find 
thee  a  propitious  Father,  and  be  for  the  futm-e  so  wholly  de- 
voted to  thee,  that  those  who  shall  follow  and  sm-vive  us  may 
be  confirmed  in  the  worship  of  thy  Majesty,  and  in  tnie  reli- 
gion, through  the  same  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


10.   The  princes  of  10.  Fuerunt  priucipes  Jehudah,  quasi  transfer- 

Judah  were  like  them  entes  term.mnm.  (vel potest omilti^^notasimiliiu- 

that  remove  the  bound:  dinis^  et  scejM  etiam  ita  sumitiir ;  Fuenmt  igitur 

therefore  I  will  pour  out  priucipes  Jehudah  transferentes  terminum  :)  su- 

my  wrath  upon  them  per  eos  etfuudam  quasi  aquas  furorem  meum 

like  water.  ivel^  indignatiouis  meai.) 

Here  the  Prophet  transfers  the  blame  of  all  the  evils  which 
then  reigned  in  the  tribe  of  Judah  to  their  princes.  He 
says,  that  the  people  had  fallen  away  and  departed  from  God 
through  their  fault,  and  he  uses  a  most  fit  similitude.  We  know 
that  there  is  nothing  certain  in  the  possessions  of  men,  except 
the  boundaries  of  fields  be  fixed  ;  for  no  one  can  otherwise 
keep  his  own.  But  by  the  metaphor  of  boundaries  in  fields, 
the  Prophet  refers  to  the  whole  political  order.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that  all  things  were  now  in  a  state  of  disorder  and 
confusion  among  the  Jews  ;  because  their  leaders,  who  ought 
to  have  ruled  the  people  and  kept  them  in  obedience,  had 
destroyed  the  whole  order  of  things.  We  now  then  under- 
stand Avhat  the  Prophet  had  really  in  view. 

But  it  must  be  observed,  that  the  tribe  of  Judah  had  been 
hitherto  kept  separate,  as  it  were  by  limits,  as  God's  heri- 
tage ;  for  Israel  had  become  alienated.  The  possession  of 
God  had  been  diminished  by  the  defection  of  Jeroboam  ;  and 
he  retained  only  one  tribe  and  a  half  in  his  service.  The 
Prophet  says  now,  that  the  Jews  had  mixed  Avith  the  Israel- 
ites, and  had  thus  become  themselves  alienated  from  the 
Lord  :  for  the.  'princes  themselves  had  taken  atcay  the  boundaries, 
that  is,  they  had,  through  indolence  and  other  vices,  destroyed 


CHAP.  V.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  203 

all  reverence  for  God,  all  care  for  religion,  and  also  every 
concern  for  what  was  just  and  right :  he  therefore  severely 
threatens  them,  I  loill  pour  out,  he  says,  my  wrath  upon  them 
like  waters. 

By  this  metaphor,  he  means  that  God  would  deal  much 
more  severely  with  them  than  with  the  common  people  :  "  I," 
he  says,  "  will  with  full  force  pour  forth  upon  them  my  fury, 
as  if  it  were  the  deluge  of  antiquity."  The  meaning  is,  "  I 
will  overwhelm  them  in  my  vengeance,  because  they  have 
done  more  evil  by  their  bad  examples,  than  if  they  had  been 
private  individuals."  We  hence  see  that  the  corruption  of 
the  people  is  imputed  to  the  princes,  and  therefore  God's 
more  dreadful  vengeance  is  denounced  on  them. 

But  we  must  bear  in  mind  what  I  have  before  said,  that 
the  Prophet  gives  here  metaphorically  the  name  of  bound- 
aries to  the  lawful  worship  of  God,  and  to  whatever  he  had 
enjoined  on  the  people,  that  they  might  be  his  certain  pos- 
session, as  fields  among  men  are  usually  separated  by  bounds, 
that  every  one  may  keep  his  own.     It  follows. — 

11.  Ephraim  is  oppressed  and        11.  Pr^edje  expositus  est  Ephraim 

broken  in  judgment,  because  he  (t-e/,  direptus  est ;  ptj'j;  signrftcat  diri- 

willingly  walked  after  the  com-  pere  et  prcedari,)  fi-actus  judicio  :  quia 

mandment.  volens  ambulavit  post  man  data. 

Here  again  the  Prophet  shows  that  the  vengeance  of  God 
would  be  just  against  Israel,  because  they  willingly  followed 
the  impious  edicts  of  their  king.  The  people  might  indeed 
have  appeared  to  be  excusable,  since  religion  had  not  been 
changed  by  their  voice,  or  by  public  consent,  or  by  any  con- 
trivance of  the  many,  but  by  the  tyrannical  will  of  the  king 
alone  :  Jeroboam  Avas  not  induced  by  superstition,  but  by 
subtile  wickedness,  to  erect  altars  elsewhere,  and  not  at  Je- 
rusalem. The  people  then  might  have  appeared  to  be  witli^^ 
out  blame ;  for  the  king  alone  devised  this  artifice,  to  secure 
himself  from  danger.  But  the  Prophet  shows  that  all  were 
implicated  in  the  same  guilt  before  God,  because  the  people 
adopted  with  alacrity  the  impious  forms  of  worship  which  J 
the  king  had  commanded.  He  therefore  says,  that  Ephraim 
is  exposed  to  plunder,  that  he  is  broken  by  judgment,  (or, 
"  shall  be  broken,"  for  the  words  may  be  rendered  in  the 


204  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XV. 

future  tense.)  That  the  people  then  were  thus  torn,  and 
wei'e  also  to  bear  in  future  far  more  grievous  things,  was  not, 
as  he  says,  because  they  had  to  suffer  all  these  things  unde- 
servedly, for  they  were  not  innocent. — How  so  ?  Because 
they  willingly  followed  the  commands  of  their  king  ;  for  the 
kino-  did  not  force  them  to  forsake  the  doctrine  of  the  law, 
but  every  one  went  voluntarily  after  impious  superstitions. 
Since  then  they  willingly  obeyed  their  king,  they  could  not 
now  excuse  themselves,  they  could  not  object  that  this  was 
done  by  one  man,  and  that  they  were  not  admitted  to  con- 
sult with  him.  Their  promptitude  proved  them  to  be  per- 
fidious. 

Some  render  T5i5*in5  evail^  "  to  begin,"  and  7X'',  ial,  is  often 
taken  in  this  sense  :  but  as  it  oftener  signifies,  "  to  be  will- 
ing," the  Prophet  no  doubt  means  here,  that  the  Israelites 
had  not  been  compelled  by  force  and  fear  to  go  astray  after 
superstitions  ;  but  that  they  were  prompt  and  ready  to  obey, 
for  there  was  in  them  no  fear  of  God,  no  religion.  If  any 
one  should  now  ask,  Whether  they  are  excusable,  who  are 
tyrannically  drawn  away  into  superstitions,  as  we  see  to  be 
done  under  the  Papacy,  the  answer  is  ready,  that  those  are 
not  here  absolved  who  regarded  men  more  than  God :  nor  is 
terror,  as  we  know,  a  sufficient  excuse,  when  we  prefer  our 
own  life  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  when,  anxious  to  provide 
for  ourselves  and  to  avoid  the  cross,  we  deny  God,  or  turn 
aside  from  making  a  confession  of  the  right  and  pure  faith : 
but  the  fault  is  rendered  double,  when  men  easily  comply 
with  any  thing  commanded  by  tyrants ;  for  they  show,  that 
they  were  already  fully  inclined  to  despise  God  and  to  deny 
true  religion.  Hence  the  impiety  of  Jeroboam  discovered 
the  common  ungodliness  and  wickedness  of  the  whole  people ; 
for  as  soon  as  he  raised  his  finger  and  bid  them  to  worship  God 
corruptly,  all  joyfully  followed  the  impious  edict.  There  was 
an  occasion  then  offered  to  them  ;  but  the  evil  dwelt  before 
in  their  hearts ;  for  they  were  not  so  inclined  and  prompt  to 
obey  God.    We  now  then  see  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view. 

He  says  that  God  would  justly  punish  all  the  Israelites, 
yea,  even  all  the  common  people;  for  though  Jeroboam  alone 
had  commanded  them  to  worship  God  corruptly,  yet  all  of 


CHAP.  V.  12.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  205 

them  willingly  embraced  Avhat  he  wished  to  be  done :  and 
thus  it  became  manifest  that  they  had  in  them  no  fear  of 
God.  We  now  see  how  vain  is  the  excuse  of  those  who  say 
that  they  ought  to  obey  kings,  and  at  the  same  time  forsake 
the  word  of  God  :  for  Avhat  does  the  Prophet  reprove  here, 
but  that  the  Israelites  had  been  too  submissive  to  their  king  ? 
"  But  this  in  itself  was  worthy  of  praise."  True,  when  the 
king  commanded  nothing  contrary  to  God's  word ;  but  when 
he  perverted  God's  worship,  when  he  set  up  corrupt  super- 
stitions, then  the  people  ought  to  have  firmly  resisted  him  : 
but  as  they  were  too  pliant ;  nay,  willingly  alloAved  themselves 
to  be  drawn  away  from  the  true  worship  of  God,  the  Prophet 
says  here,  that  they  had  no  reason  to  complain,  that  they  were 
too  sharply  and  too  severely  chastised  by  the  Lord,  It  fol- 
lows— 

12.  Therefore  t<;i7/  I  be        12.  Et  ego  tanquam  tinea  ipsi  Ephrairn, 

unto  Ephrairn  as  a  moth,  et  tanquam  pntredo  (vel,  caries  ;  quajiquam 

and  to  the  house  of  Judah  aliivertunt,  Teredinem,  qui  est  etiam  vermicu- 

as  rottenness.  liis^  qui  nascitur  in  lignis)  domui  Jehudah. 

God  now  denounces  punishment  in  common  on  the  two 
kingdoms  ;  but  he  speaks  not  as  before,  he  says  not  that  his 
fury  would  be  like  a  deluge,  to  overwhelm  and  drown  the 
people.  What  then  ?  He  compares  himself  to  little  worms 
which  gnaw  wood  and  consume  cloths ;  or  he  compares  him- 
self to  rottenness;  for,  as  we  have  said,  the  second  word  is  to 
be  so  taken,  as  Ipl,  rekoh,  is  properly  rottenness,  and  is  de- 
rived from  ipn,  raAo^,  "  to  rot ; "  it  is  then  rottenness  or 
putrescence.  But  as  I  have  said,  some  would  render  it,  "  a 
grub;"  and  there  is  a  probable  reason  for  this,  because  he 
first  mentioned  moth;  and  these  two,  moth  and  grub,^  Avould 
be  more  suitable  to  each  other,  than  moth  and  rottenness. 
However,  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet  is  by  no  means  ob- 
scure, and  that  is,  that  the  Lord  would  by  a  slow  corrosion 
consume  both  the  people  ;  that  though  he  would  not  by  one 
onset  destroy  them,  yet  they  would  pine  away  until  they  be- 
came wholly  rotten.     This  is  the  meaning. 

^  "  That  it  signifies  some  kind  of  worm  or  maggot  I  have  uo  doubt,  be- 
cause the  rule  of  the  parallelism  demands  some  gnamng  insect,  that  may 
correspond  with  c'y,  the  moth." — Bp.  Horsley. 


206  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT,  XV. 

But  we  must  observe  why  the  Prophet  used  this  meta- 
phor. It  was,  thai  the  Israelites  and  the  Jews  might  under- 
stand, that  though  the  Lord  would  in  some  measure  mthhold 
his  hand  from  resting  heavily  upon  them,  and  that  though 
he  would  spare  them,  yet  they  would  not  be  safe,  because 
they  would  by  little  and  little  feel  a  slow  decay,  that  would 
consume  them.  And  the  Lord  meant  in  this  way  to  turn 
the  people  to  repentance ;  but  he  effected  nothing  :  for  such 
was  their  hardness,  that  they  felt  not  this  slow  decay;  as 
those  who  are  stupid  are  not  moved,  except  they  feel  a  most 
grievous  pain ;  they  think  that  they  are  doing  well,  and  they 
struggle  against  their  own  disease :  many  such  we  see. 
Hence  the  Prophet  here  reminds  them,  that  though  the 
Lord  should  not  openly  fulminate  against  the  Israelites  and 
the  Jews,  they  yet  in  vain  flattered  themselves,  because  the 
Lord  would  be  to  them  a  moth  and  a  worm ;  that  is,  that 
however  gradually  he  might  consume  them,  they  would  yet 
be  greatly  deceived,  if  they  did  not  perceive  that  they  had 
to  do  with  him. 

The  chief  instruction  is,  that  God  does  not  always  punish 
men  in  the  same  way;  for  he  deals  with  them  differently,  either 
to  promote  their  salvation,  or  to  render  them  in  this  way 
more  inexcusable.  Hence  God  sometimes  pours  forth  his 
severity,  and  at  another  time  he  slowly  chastises  us.  But 
whatever  may  be  the  way,  we  are  reminded  that  we  ought 
not  to  sleep,  whenever  the  Lord  awakens  us  ;  nor  should  we 
wait  until  he  appears  as  a  lion  or  a  bear,  until  he  devours 
us,  until  he  rages  against  us  in  dreadful  fury.  We  are  then 
reminded  that  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  wait  for 
this ;  but  that  when  God  consumes  us  by  degrees,  it  ought 
instantly  to  occur  to  us,  that  though  the  moth  and  the  worm 
are  but  very  small  insects,  hardly  seen  by  the  eyes,  yet  a 
hard  and  firm  tree  is  consumed  by  these  little  worms,  or 
by  its  own  cariousness ;  and  that  cloths  are  consumed  with 
putridity,  when  once  the  moth  enters  into  them;  we  see 
valuable  furniture  perishing.  Since  it  is  so,  there  is  no 
reason  for  men  to  be  secure  when  God  shows  any  sign  of 
his  wrath,  though  he  pours  not  forth  his  horrible  vengeance, 
but  is  as  a  hidden  putrefaction.  We  now  perceive  what 
Hosea  means  in  this  verse.     It  now  follows — 


CHAP.  Y.  13.           COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  207 

13.  Wheu  Epliraim  saw  13.    Et  vidit  Ephraim   dolorem    suum 

his  sickness,  and  Judah  saw  (morbum  suum  potius,)  et  Jehudah  vulnus 

his  wound,  then  went  Eph-  suum  :  profectus  est  Ephraim  ad  Assur,  et 

raim  to  the  Assyi'ian,  and  misit  ad  regem  Jareb  :  ipse  tamen  non  po- 

sent  to  king  Jareb :  yet  tuit  mederi  vobis,  et  non  sanabit  a  vobis  vul- 

could   he   not    heal   you,  nus  (dicunt  Hebrcei,  sanare  ab  aliquo  vulnus 

nor    cure    you    of    your  pro  aufeiTe  vulnus  :  potius  Latine  dicendum 

wound.  est,  non  sanabit  vos  a  plaga.) 


Here  the  Lord  complains  that  he  had  in  vain  chastised 
the  Israelites  by  the  usual  means,  for  they  thought  that  they 
had  remedies  ready  for  themselves,  and  turned  their  minds 
to  vain  hopes.  This  is  usually  done  by  most  men ;  for  when 
the  Lord  deals  mildly  with  us,  we  perceive  not  his  hand,  but 
think  that  what  evils  happen  to  us  come  by  chance.  Then, 
as  if  we  had  nothing  to  do  with  God,  we  seek  remedies,  and 
turn  our  minds  and  thoughts  to  other  quarters.  This  then  is 
what  God  now  reproves  in  the  Jews  and  the  Israelites  : 
Ephraim,  he  says,  saio  his  disease,  and  Judah  his  wound.  What 
then  did  he  do  ?  Ephraim  went  to  Assyria,  he  says,  and  sent 
to  king  Jareh,  that  is,  "  They  returned  not  to  me,  but  thought 
that  they  had  remedies  in  their  own  hand ;  and  thus  vain 
became  the  labour  which  I  have  taken  to  correct  them." 
This  is  the  meaning. 

He  says  that  Ephraim  had  seen  his  disease,  and  Judah  his 
wound :  but  it  is  not  right  so  to  take  this,  as  if  they  well 
considered  the  causes  of  these ;  for  the  ungodly  are  blind  to 
the  causes  of  evils,  and  only  attend  to  their  present  grief. 
They  are  like  intemperate  men,  who,  when  disease  seizes 
them,  feel  heat,  feel  pain  in  the  head,  and  other  symptoms, 
at  the  same  time  there  is  no  concern  for  the  disease,  neither 
do  they  inquire  how  they  procured  these  pains  for  them- 
selves, that  they  might  seek  fit  remedies. 

So  Ephraim  knew  his  disease,  but  at  the  same  time  overlooked 
the  cause  of  his  disease,  and  was  only  affected  by  his  present 
pain.  So  also  Judah  knew  his  wound ;  but  he  understood  not 
that  he  was  struck  and  wounded  by  the  hand  of  God ;  but 
was  only  affected  with  his  pain,  like  brute  beasts  who  feel  the 
stroke  and  sigh,  while  they  have,  in  the  meantime,  neither 
reason  nor  judgment  to  understand  whence,  or  for  what 
cause  the  evil  has  come  to  them.     In  a  word,  the  Prophet 


208  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XV. 

here  condemns  this  brutish  stupidity  in  both  people;  for 
they  did  not  so  far  profit  under  Grod's  rod  as  to  return  to 
him,  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  sought  other  remedies ;  be- 
cause stupor  had  taken  such  hold  on  their  minds,  that  they 
did  not  consider  that  they  were  chastised  by  God,  and  that 
this  was  done  for  just  reasons.  As  then  no  such  thing 
came  to  their  mind,  but  they  only  felt  themselves  ill  and 
grieved  as  brutes  do,  they  went  to  the  Assyrian,  and  sent  to 
king  Jareb. 

The  Prophet  seems  here  to  inveigh  only  against  the  ten 
tribes ;  but  though  he  expressly  speaks  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  accused  also  the  Jews 
in  common  with  them.  Why  then  does  he  name  only  Eph- 
raim  ?^  Even  because  the  beginning  of  this  evil  commenced 
in  the  kingdom  of  Israel :  for  they  were  the  first  who  went 
to  the  king  of  Assur,  that  they  might,  by  his  help,  resist 
their  neighbours,  the  Syrians  :  the  Jews  afterwards  followed 
their  example.  Since  then  the  Israelites  afforded  a  precedent 
to  the  Jews  to  send  for  aids  of  this  kind,  the  Prophet  ex- 
pressly confines  his  discourse  to  them.  But  there  is  no 
doubt,  as  I  have  already  said,  but  that  the  accusation  was 
common. 

We  now  perceive  what  the  Prophet  meant :  Ephraim,  he 
says,  saw  his  disease,  and  Judah  his  wound ;  that  is,  '^  Though 
I  have,  like  a  moth  and  a  worm,  consumed  the  kingdom  of 
Israel  as  well  as  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  and  they  have  felt 
themselves  to  be,  as  it  were,  decaying,  and  though  their 
disease  ought  to  have  led  them  to  repentance,  they  have  yet 
turned  their  thoughts  elsewhere ;  they  have  even  supposed 
that  they  could  be  made  whole  by  seeking  a  remedy  either 
from  the  Assyrians  or  some  others :  thus  it  happened  that 
they  hastened  to  Assyria,  and  sought  help  from  king  Jareb." 
We  then  see,  in  short,  that  the  stupidity  and  hardness  of  the 

1  Horsley  thought  that  there  is  a  word  left  out  before  "  sent,"  and  sup- 
posed it  to  be  "  Judah,"  that  the  two  parts  of  the  verse  might  correspond, 
as  Judah  as  well  as  Ephraim  is  mentioned  in  the  former  part  of  the  verse. 
Had  he  well  weighed  the  reason  here  given  by  Calvin,  he  would  not  have 
thought  such  an  addition  necessary.  Conjectural  emendations  for  the 
most  part  arise  from  the  same  cause, — from  not  understanding  the  de- 
sign and  pui-pose  of  the  sacred  writer.— ^^. 


CHAP.  V.  13.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  209 

people  are  here  reproved,  because  they  were  not  turned  by 
these  evils  to  repentance. 

Some  think  Jareb  to  have  been  a  city  in  Assyria ;  but 
there  is  no  gi-ound  for  this  conjecture.  Others  suppose  that  Ja- 
reb was  a  neighbouring  king  to  the  Assyrian,  and  was  sent  to 
when  the  Assyrian,  from  a  friend  and  a  confederate,  became 
an  enemy,  and  invaded  the  kingdom  of  Israel ;  but  this  con- 
jecture also  has  no  solid  grounds.  It  may  have  been  the  pro- 
per name  of  a  man,  and  I  prefer  so  to  take  it.  For  it  seemed 
not  necessary  for  the  Prophet  to  speak  here  of  many  auxi- 
liaries ;  but  after  the  manner  of  the  Hebrews,  he  repeats  the 
same  thing  twice.  Some  render  it,  "  to  revenge  ;"  because 
they  sent  for  that  king,  even  the  Assyrian,  as  a  revenger. 
But  this  exposition  also  is  forced.  More  simple  appears  to 
me  what  I  have  already  said,  that  they  sent  for  the  Assyrian, 
that  is,  for  king  Jareb. 

Then  it  follows.  Yet  could  he  not  heal  you,  nor  will  he  cure 
you  of  your  wound.  Here  God  declares  that  whatever  the 
Israelites  might  seek  would  be  in  vain.  "  Ye  think,"  he  says, 
"  that  you  can  escape  my  hand  by  these  remedies  ;  but  your 
folly  will  at  length  betray  itself,  for  he  will  avail  you  nothing ; 
that  is,  king  Jareb  will  not  heal  you."  In  this  clause  the 
Prophet  shows,  that  unless  we  immediately  return  to  God, 
when  he  warns  us  by  his  scourges,  it  will  be  in  vain  for  us 
to  look  here  and  there  for  remedies  :  for  in  this  world  many 
allurements  come  in  our  way  ;  but  when  we  hope  for  any  re- 
lief, the  Lord  will  at  length  show  that  we  have  been  deluded. 
There  is,  then,  but  one  remedy, — to  go  directly  to  God ; 
and  this  is  what  the  Prophet  means,  and  this  is  the  ap- 
plication of  the  present  doctrine.  He  had  said  before  that 
Ephraim  had  felt  his  disease  and  Judah  his  wounds ;  that  is, 
"  I  have  led  them  thus  far,  that  they  have  acknowledged 
themselves  to  be  lU  ;  but  they  have  not  gone  on  as  they 
ought  to  have  done,  so  as  to  return  to  me :  on  the  contrary, 
they  have  turned  aside  to  king  Jareb  and  to  other  delusions." 
Then  it  follows,  "  But  these  remedies  have  turned  out  rather 
for  harm  to  you ;  they  certainly  have  not  profited  you."  A 
confirmation  of  this  sentence  follows — 

VOL.  I.  O 


210  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.  LECT.  XV. 

14.  For  I  will  be  imto  EiDhraim  as  a        14.  Quia  ego  tanquam  leo  ipsi 

lion,  and  as  a  young  lion  to  the  house  Ej^hraim,  et  tanquam  leunculus 

of  Judah :  I,  even  I,  will  tear  and  go  domui  Jehudah :   ego,  ego  ra- 

away;    I  will  take  away,  and  none  piam,  et  abibo;  toUam  et  nemo 

shall  rescue  Mm.  eripiet. 

As  I  have  said,  tlie  Prophet  confirms  this  truth,  that  Is- 
rael had  recourse  in  vain  to  false  physicians,  when  they  left 
God.  How  so  ?  Because  the  whole  world,  Avere  it  to  favour 
us,  could  not  yet  help  us,  against  the  will  of  God  and  his 
opposing  power.  But  God  here  declares  that  he  would  be 
adverse  to  the  Israelites ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Provide  human 
aids  as  much  as  you  please ;  but  will  the  Assyrian  be  supe- 
rior to  me  in  power  ?  Can  he  hinder  me  from  pursuing  you 
as  I  have  determined  ?"  Thus  God  shows  that  he  would  deal 
in  a  new  and  difierent  manner  with  the  Israelites  and  the 
Jews :  "  I  will  not,"  he  says,  "  be  any  longer  like  a  moth  and 
a  worm ;  I  shall  come  like  a  lion  to  you,  with  an  open  mouth 
to  devour  you  :  now  let  the  Assyrian  king  come  forth,  when 
I  shall  thus  go  armed  against  you  ;  can  he  put  any  hinder- 
ance  in  my  way,  that  I  should  not  execute  my  vengeance,  as 
it  shall  seem  good  to  me  ?"  We  now  then  perceive  the  design 
of  the  Prophet. 

He  had  said,  that  God  would  punish  the  Israelites  and  the 
Jews,  by  consuming  them  by  degrees,  that  there  might  be 
more  time  for  repentance  :  but  he  says  that  this  would  be 
useless,  for  they  would  not  think  that  it  was  done  seriously. 
They  would  therefore  deceive  themselves  with  vain  fallacies. 
What  would  then  at  last  remain  ?  Even  this,  "  I  will,"  he 
says,  "  put  on  a  new  form  and  go  to  battle :  I  will  be  to  you 
as  a  lion  and  a  young  lion ;  I  wiU  rage  against  you  as  a  fierce 
wild  beast :  your  grievance  shall  not  now  be  from  moths  and 
worms;  but  you  shall  have  an  open  and  dreadful  contest 
with  the  lion  and  the  young  lion.  What  then  will  the  Assy- 
rian king  avail  you?"  And  this  place  teaches,  that  men,  when 
they  attempt  to  oppose  vain  helps  to  the  wrath  of  God,  gain 
only  this,  that  they  more  and  more  provoke  and  inflame  his 
wrath  against  themselves.  After  God  has  first  gnawed,  he 
will  at  length  devour ;  after  he  has  pricked,  he  will  deeply 
wound;  after  he  has  struck,  he  wUl  wholly  destroy.     All  this 


CHAP.  V.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  liOSEA.  211 

we  bring  on  ourselves  by  our  perverse  attempts,  when  we 
try  to  seek  escapes  for  ourselves.  Except,  then,  we  Avould 
willingly  kindle  God's  displeasure,  that  he  may  appear  as  a 
lion  and  rage  against  us  with  the  whole  force  of  his  wrath, 
let  us  take  heed,  that  we  deceive  not  ourselves  by  vain  reliefs. 
He  therefore  says,  /,  /  will  take  away,  or,  "  tear,"  or,  "  tear 
in  pieces;"  for  ^^,  shereph,  properly  means  this,  and  it  agrees 
better  with  the  rest  of  the  context.  "  I  will  then,  as  lions  and 
young  lions  are  wont  to  do,  tear  in  pieces,  limb  from  limb, 
the  whole  people."  Then  he  says,  I  will  f/o  away  as  a  lion, 
who,  after  he  has  enjoyed  his  prey,  departs  a  conqueror  with 
more  courage,  being  not  put  to  flight,  for  he  is  moved  by  no 
fear.  So  also  the  Prophet  says,  "Let  the  Assyrian  king 
come,  he  will  not  constrain  me  to  retreat,  nor  will  he  rescue 
the  spoil  from  me :  and  when  I  shall  be  satiated  with  your 
destruction,  I  shall  not  then  have  any  fear  on  account  of  the 
Assyrian  kuig,  that  I  should  stealthily  flee  away,  as  foxes  are 
wont  to  do ;  I  will  not  craftily  contend ;  but  I  will  go  forth 
openly,  my  violence  will  be  sufficient  to  put  him  to  flight : 
I  will  thus  depart  of  my  own  accord ;  for  your  subsidies  wiU 
occasion  me  no  fear.  I  will  take  away,  he  says,  and  none 
shall  reseller  We  now  comprehend  the  whole  meaning  of 
the  Prophet. 

15.  I  will  go  and  return  to        15.  Ibo,  revertar  ad  locum  meum,  do- 

my  place,  till  they  acknow-  nee  agnoscaut  se  peccasse  (ad  verhum  est, 

ledge  theii'  offence,  aud  seek  peccare,)  et  quteraiit  faciem  meam :  ubi 

my  face :  in   their  affliction  fuerit  ipsis  afflictio,  properabimt  ad  me 

they  will  seek  me  early.  (vel,  me  qujEreut.) 

The  word  'HH^j  shicher,  signifies  the  morning  :  hence  the 
verb  means,  "  to  seek  early,"  or,  "  to  rise  early,"  as  men  do 
when  they  apply  themselves  diligently  to  anything :  but  in 
many  places  of  Scripture  it  is  taken  simply  in  the  sense  of 
seeking ;  and  this  simple  meaning  seems  most  suitable  to 
this  place.  They  will  seek  me  in  their  tribulation.  God  here 
declares,  that  after  having  been  dreadfully  fierce  against  both 
the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel,  he  would  for  a  time  rest 
quietly  and  wait  from  heaven  what  they  would  do.  He  then 
adds,  '*  They  will  at  length  return  to  a  sane  mind :  when 
they  shall  perceive  the  finishing  part,  they  will  then,  having 


212  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XV. 

lost  their  perverseness,  acknowledge  their  sins  and  be  truly 
humbled."      This  is  the  meaning. 

The  mode  of  speaking  seems  apparently  strange,  when 
God  says,  that  he  will  go  away ;  for  he  neither  so  hides  him- 
self in  heaven,  that  he  neglects  human  affairs,  nor  withdraws 
his  hand,  but  that  he  sustains  the  world  by  the  continued  ex- 
ercise of  his  power,  nor  even  takes  away  his  Spirit  from  men, 
especially  when  he  would  lead  them  to  repentance ;  for  men 
never  of  their  own  accord  turn  themselves  to  God,  but  by  his 
hidden  influence.  What  then  does  he  mean  by  this,  I  will  go 
and  return  to  my  place  ?  Why,  indeed,  he  speaks  here  of  the 
external  state  of  the  people:  then  the  meaning  is,  "After  the 
two  kingdoms  shall  be  cut  off,  I  will  then  for  a  time  hide  my 
face  from  both  the  people;  and  they  will  think  that  I  care  not 
for  their  salvation;  they  will  think  that  they  are  far  removed 
from  me."  We  hence  see  that  the  Prophet  here  only  refers 
to  what  would  be  the  external  condition  of  the  people  ;  and 
then  we  also  see,  that  these  forms  of  speech  are  accommodated 
to  the  perceptions  of  men.  So  God  also  himself  speaks  in 
Isaiah  xviii.,  though  for  a  different  purpose ;  yet  the  Prophet 
expresses  there  in  reality  the  same  thing ;  '  I  will  rest,'  he 
Bays,  '  and  I  will  wait  in  my  tabernacle.'  What  was  that 
rest  of  God,  and  what  was  his  tabernacle  ?  Why,  when  God 
exercises  his  judgments,  we  are  then  constrained  to  feel  his 
presence,  and  when  he  kindly  favours  us  and  exhibits  the 
kindness  of  a  Father,  he  then  really  shows  himself  propitious 
to  us:  but  when  he  neither  visits  us  for  our  sins,  nor  gives  us 
tokens  of  his  favour,  he  seems  to  withdraw  himself  from  us, 
and  to  show  no  regard  for  our  life.  We  now  then  understand 
that  the  Prophet  speaks  of  the  time  of  exUe  ;  as  though  he 
said,  "  After  God  shall  execute  against  you  his  extreme  judg- 
ment, and  ye  shall  be  taken  away  into  exile,  God  will  then  for- 
sake you,  as  if  he  in  no  way  regarded  you,  but  were  unmind- 
ful of  you;  for  he  will  leave  you  there  to  rest,  even  in  Chaldea 
and  Assyria;  and  then  he  will  not  send  forth  any  light  of 
salvation.  God  therefore  will  be  as  it  were  idle  in  heaven." 
This  is  one  thing. 

But  the  Prophet  shows  at  the  same  time  the  final  issue, 
that  is,  that  they  vnW  afterwards  return  to  the  Lord ;  and 


CHAP.  V.  15.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  213 

that  this  is  also  the  purpose  of  God  he  affirms,  Till  they 
acknowledge,  he  says,  that  they  have  sinned.  For  it  is  the  be- 
ginning of  healing,  when  men  consider  the  cause  of  their  dis- 
ease. He  had  said  before  that  Israel  saw  liis  disease,  but  not 
in  a  right  way ;  for  the  origin  of  the  disease  was  hid  from 
him,  and  continued  as  yet  hid.  But  now  the  Prophet  dis- 
tinctly shows  that  it  is  to  seek  God,  when  people  acknowledge 
and  confess  their  sins.  This  word  continually  occurs  in 
Scripture  when  sacrifices  are  spoken  of.  Hence  men  are  said 
then  to  sin,  when  they  go  forth  before  God,  making  a  true 
confession,  when  they  acknowledge  their  guilt  and  pray  for 
pardon.  So  also  in  this  place  he  says,  "  Until  they  confess  that 
they  have  sinned,  I  will  for  a  time  hide  myself."  And  he  adds. 
They  will  seek  my  face.  This  is  the  second  thing  in  attaining 
salvation — to  seek  the  face  of  God  :  for  we  are  reconciled  to 
God,  we  know,  by  repentance  and  faith;  not  that  repentance 
procures  pardon  for  us,  but  because  it  is  necessarily  requix'ed ; 
it  is  a  cause,  as  they  say,  which  is  indispensable,  (est  causa 
sine  qua  non,  ut  loquuntur.) 

The  first  step  then  towards  healing,  as  we  have  already 
said,  is  to  be  touched  with  grief,  when  we  perceive  that  we 
have  provoked  the  wrath  of  God,  and  when  thus  our  sins  dis- 
please us.  But  he  who  is  thus  become  in  himself  a  sinner, 
that  is,  who  begins  to  be  his  own  judge,  ought  afterwards  to 
add  this  second  thing — to  seek  the  face  of  God,  that  is,  to 
present  himself  a  suppliant  before  God,  and  to  ask  for  par- 
don; and  this  arises  from  faith.  It  is  then  to  repentance  that 
the  word  DSJ'X?  aslnm,  belongs,  which  is  to  "  acknowledge 
sin:"  and  to  "seek  the  face  of  God,"  properly  belongs  to 
faith. 

Now  let  us  see  what  is  the  application  of  this  doctrine  as 
to  both  people.  When  the  Israelites  and  the  Jews  lived  in 
exile,  it  was  of  great  benefit  for  them  to  have  this  testified, 
that  God  was  hiding  his  face  for  a  time,  that  he  might  afford 
them  time  to  repent ;  this  is  one  thing.  Now  when  men  con- 
siderately attend  to  this,  that  they  are  to  seek  God,  that  they 
may  repent,  they  are  encouraged ;  and  this  is  the  sharpest 
goad  to  rouse  men,  that  they  may  no  longer  be  torpid  in 


214  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XV. 

their  vices  :  and  this  is  what  the  Prophet  meant.  When  the 
Lord  shall  banish  into  exile  both  the  Jews  and  the  Israelites, 
let  them  not  think  that  though  for  a  time  he  will  seem  to  cast 
them  away,  they  are  wholly  deserted ;  for  as  yet  a  convenient 
time  for  repentance  will  be  given  them.  He  afterwards  de- 
scribes th^  way  of  reconciliation,  that  is,  that  they  shall  ac- 
knowledge that  they  have  sinned^  and  then  that  they  shall  seek 
the  face  of  God. 

And  at  the  same  time  he  makes  known  the  fruit  of  afflic- 
tion, and  says.  When  ajffliction  shall  he  to  them,  then  they  will 
seek  me.  The  Prophet  here  shows,  that  exile,  though  very 
bitter  to  Israel,  would  yet  be  useful ;  as  when  a  physician 
gives  a  bitter  draught,  or  is  compelled  to  use  strong  medicine 
to  cure  an  inveterate  disease ;  so  the  Prophet  shows  that 
this  punishment  would  be  useful  to  the  people,  and  even 
pleasant,  however  bitter  it  might  be  for  a  time.  How  so  ? 
For  they  will  return  to  the  Lord ;  and  he  says  distinctly. 
They  will  seek  me.  He  includes  in  this  expression  both  faith 
and  repentance  ;  for  he  separates  not  the  two  clauses  as  be- 
fore, but  shows  generally  that  the  end  of  affliction  would  be, 
that  the  people  would  turn  themselves  to  God.  With  respect 
to  the  expression,  "  to  seek  early,"  I  have  said  already  that  I 
do  not  approve  of  that  meaning ;  for  neither  the  Israelites 
nor  the  Jews  sought  God  early,  but  were  with  difficulty  at 
last,  after  a  long  period,  and  a  long  series  of  seventy  years, 
led  to  repentance.  What  sort  of  seeking  early  was  this  ?  I 
do  not  then  approve  of  rendering  the  word,  '  They  shall  seek 
me  early;'  but,  as  I  have  said,  the  simple  idea  of  "seeking" 
is  more  suitable. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  contintie  to  kindle  often  thj- 
wrath  against  us  by  our  innumerable  sins, — O  grant,  that  when 
thou  warnest  and  wouldest  restore  us  to  the  right  way,  we  may 
at  least  be  pliant,  and  without  delay  attend  to  the  scourges  of 
thy  hand,  and  not  wait  for  extreme  severity,  but  timely  repent ; 
and  that  we  may  truly  and  from  the  heart  seek  thee,  let  us  not 
put  on  false  repentance,  but  strive  to  devote  ourselves  wholly 
to  thee,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


CHAP.  VI.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  215 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1.  Come  and  let  us  return  unto  the  1.  Venite  et  convertamur  ad 

Lord  :  for  he  hath  torn,  and  he  will  Jehovam,  quia  ipse  rapuit  et  sa- 

heal  us  ;  he  hath  smitten,  and  he  will  nabit  nos ;  percussit  et  alligabit 

bind  us  up.  plagas  nostras. 

In  the  last  chapter  the  Prophet  said,  that  the  Israelites, 
after  having  been  subdued  by  chastisements  and  judgments, 
would  again  turn  back  from  following  error,  to  seek  God. 
But  as  terror  drives  men  away  from  approaching  God,  he  now 
adds,  that  the  measure  of  afflictions  would  not  be  such  as 
would  discourage  their  minds  and  produce  despair ;  but  ra- 
ther inspire  them  wdth  the  assurance,  that  God  would  be  pro- 
pitious to  them :  and  that  he  might  set  this  forth  the  better, 
he  introduces  them  as  saying.  Come,  let  us  go  to  the  Lord :  and 
this  mode  of  speaking  is  very  emphatical. 

But  we  must  know  that  the  reason  here  given,  why  the 
Israelites  could  return  safely  and  with  sure  confidence  to 
God,  is,  that  they  would  acknowledge  it  as  his  office  to  heal 
after  he  has  smitten,  and  to  bring  a  remedy  for  the  wounds 
which  he  has  inflicted.  The  Prophet  means  by  these  Avords, 
that  God  does  not  so  punish  men  as  to  pour  forth  his  wrath 
upon  them  for  their  destruction ;  but  that  he  intends,  on  the 
contrary,  to  promote  their  salvation,  when  he  is  severe  in 
punishing  their  sins.  We  must  then  remember,  as  we  have 
before  observed,  that  the  beginning  of  repentance  is  a  sense 
of  God's  mercy ;  that  is,  when  men  are  persuaded  that  God 
is  ready  to  give  pardon,  they  then  begin  to  gather  courage 
to  repent ;  otherwise  perverseness  will  ever  increase  in  them  ; 
how  much  soever  their  sin  may  frighten  them,  they  will  yet 
never  return  to  the  Lord.  And  for  this  purpose  I  have  else- 
where quoted  that  remarkable  passage  in  Ps.  cxxx.,  '  With 
thee  is  mercy,  that  thou  may  est  be  feared ;'  for  it  cannot  be, 
that  men  will  obey  God  with  true  and  sincere  heart,  except 
a  taste  of  his  goodness  allures  them,  and  they  can  certainly 
determine,  that  they  shall  not  return  to  him  in  vain,  but  that 


216  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVI. 

he  will  be  ready,  as  we  have  said,  to  pardon  them.  This  is 
the  meaning  of  the  words,  when  he  says,  Come,  and  let  us 
turn  to  the  Lord;  for  he  hath  torn,  and  he  will  heal  us ;  that 
is,  God  hath  not  inflicted  on  us  deadly  wounds  ;  but  he  hath 
smitten,  that  he  might  heal. 

At  the  same  time,  something  more  is  expressed  in  the  Pro- 
phet's words,  and  it  is  this,  that  God  never  so  rigidly  deals 
with  men,  but  that  he  ever  leaves  room  for  his  grace.  For 
by  the  word,  torn,  the  Prophet  alludes  to  that  heavy  judgment 
of  which  he  had  before  spoken  in  the  person  of  God  :  the  Lord 
then  made  himself  to  be  like  a  cruel  wild  beast,  "  I  will  be  as  a 
lion,  I  will  devour,  I  will  tear,  and  no  one  shall  take  away  the 
prey  which  I  have  once  seized."  God  wished  then  to  show 
that  his  vengeance  would  be  dreadful  against  the  Israelites. 
Now,  though  God  should  deal  very  sharply  with  them,  they 
were  not  yet  to  despair  of  pardon.  However,  then,  we  may 
find  God  to  be  for  a  time  like  a  lion  or  a  bear,  yet,  as  his 
proper  office  is  to  heal  after  he  has  torn,  to  bind  the  wounds 
he  has  inflicted,  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  shun  his 
presence.  We  see  that  the  design  of  the  Prophet's  words 
was  to  show,  that  no  chastisement  is  so  severe  that  it  ought 
to  break  down  our  spirits,  but  that  we  ought,  by  entertaining 
hope,  to  stir  up  ourselves  to  repentance.  This  is  the  drift  of 
the  passage. 

It  is  further  needful  to  observe,  that  the  faithful  do  here, 
in  the  first  place,  encourage  themselves,  that  they  may  after- 
wards lead  others  with  them ;  for  so  the  words  mean.  He 
does  not  say,  "  Go,  return  to  Jehovah ;"  but.  Come,  let  us  re- 
turn unto  Jehovah.  We  then  see  that  each  one  begins  with 
himself;  and  then  that  they  mutually  exhort  one  another ; 
and  this  is  what  ought  to  be  done  by  us :  when  any  one 
sends  his  bretliien  to  God,  he  does  not  consult  his  own  good, 
since  he  ought  rather  to_show  the  way.  Let  every  one,  then, 
learn  to  stimulate  himself;  and  then,  let  him  stretch  out  his 
hand  to  others,  that  they  may  follow.  We  are  at  the  same 
time  reminded  that  we  ought  to  undertake  the  care  of  our 
brethren ;  for  it  would  be  a  shame  for  any  one  to  be  content 
with  his  own  salvation,  and  so  to  neglect  his  brethren.  It  is 
then  necessary  to  join  together  these  two  things, — To  stir  up 


CHAP.  VI.  2.  COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA,  217 

ourselves  to  repentance,  —  and  then  to  try  to  lead  others  with 
us.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

2.  After  two  days  will  he  revive  2.   Vivificabit  nos  post  biduum, 

us  :   in  the  thu'd  day  he  will  raise  die  tertio  suscitabit  nos,  et  vivemus 

us  up,  and  we  shall  live  in   his  in  conspectu  ejus  (re/,  coram  facie 

sight.  ejus.) 

This  place  the  Hebrew  writers  pervert,  for  they  think  that 
they  are  yet  to  be  redeemed  by  the  coming  of  the  Messiah ; 
and  they  imagine  that  this  will  be  the  third  day :  for  God 
once  drew  them  out  of  Egypt,  this  was  their  first  life ;  then, 
secondly,  he  restored  them  to  life  when  he  brought  them 
back  from  the  Babylonish  captivity ;  and  when  God  shall, 
by  the  hand  of  the  Messiah,  gather  them  from  their  disper- 
sion, this,  they  say,  will  be  the  third  resurrection.  But  these 
are  frivolous  notions.  Notwithstanding,  this  place  is  usually 
referred  to  Christ,  as  declaring,  that  God  would,  after  two 
days,  and  on  the  third,  raise  up  his  Church  ;  for  Christ,  we 
know,  did  not  rise  privately  for  himself,  but  for  his  members, 
inasmuch  as  he  is  the  first-fruits  of  them  Avho  shall  rise. 
This  sense  does  not  seem  then  unsuitable,  that  is,  that  the 
Prophet  here  encourages  the  faithful  to  entertain  hope  of 
salvation,  because  God  would  raise  up  his  only-begotten 
Son,  whose  resurrection  would  be  the  common  life  of  the 
whole  Church. 

Yet  this  sense  seems  to  me  rather  too  refined.  We  must 
always  mind  this,  that  we  fly  not  in  the  air.  Subtle  specu- 
lations please  at  first  sight,  but  afterwards  vanish.  Let  every 
one,  then,  who  desires  to  make  proficiency  in  the  Scriptures 
always  keep  to  this  rule — to  gather  from  the  Prophets  and 
Apostles  only  what  is  solid. 

Let  us  now  see  what  the  Prophet  meant.  He  here  adds, 
I  doubt  not,  a  second  source  of  consolation,  that  is,  that  if 
God  should  not  immediately  revive  his  people,  there  would 
be  no  reason  for  delay  to  cause  weariness,  as  it  is  wont  to 
do ;  for  we  see  that  when  God  suflfers  us  to  languish  long, 
our  spirits  fail ;  and  those  who  at  first  seem  cheerful  and 
courageous  enough,  in  process  of  time  become  faint.  As, 
then,  patience  is  a  rare  virtue,  Hosea  here  exhorts  us  pa- 
tiently to  bear  delay,  when  the  Loi'd  does  not  immediately 


218  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.   XVI. 

revive  us.  Thus  then  did  the  Israelites  say,  After  tico  days 
icill  God  I'evive  us;  on  the  third  day  he  will  raise  tis  up  to 
life. 

What  did  they  understand  by  two  days  ?  Even  their  long 
affliction ;  as  though  they  said,  "  Though  the  Lord  may  not 
deliver  us  from  our  miseries  the  first  day,  but  defer  longer 
our  redemption,  our  hope  ought  not  yet  to  fail ;  for  God  can 
raise  up  dead  bodies  from  their  graves  no  less  than  restore  life 
in  a  moment."  When  Daniel  meant  to  show  that  the  afflic- 
tion of  the  people  would  be  long,  he  says,  '  After  a  time, 
times,  and  half  time,'  (Dan.  vii.  25.)  That  mode  of  speaking 
is  different,  but  then  as  to  sense  it  is  the  same.  He  says, 
'  after  a  time,'  that  is,  after  a  year  ;  that  would  be  tolerable  : 
but  it  follows,  '  and  times,'  that  is,  many  years  :  God  after- 
wards shortens  that  period,  and  brings  redemption  at  a  time 
when  least  expected.  Hosea  mentions  here  two  years,  be- 
cause God  would  not  afflict  his  people  for  one  day,  but,  as 
we  have  before  seen,  subdue  them  by  degrees  ;  for  the  per- 
verseness  of  the  people  had  so  prevailed,  that  they  could  not 
be  soon  healed.  As  when  diseases  have  been  striking  roots 
for  a  long  time,  they  cannot  be  immediately  cured,  but  there 
is  need  of  slow  and  various  remedies ;  and  were  a  physician 
to  attempt  immediately  to  remove  a  disease  which  had  taken 
full  possession  of  a  man,  he  certainly  would  not  cure  him, 
but  take  away  his  life :  so  also,  when  the  IsraeHtes,  through 
their  long  obstinacy,  had  become  nearly  incm-able,  it  was 
necessary  to  lead  them  to  repentance  by  slow  punishments. 
They  therefore  said.  After  two  days  God  loill  revive  us ;  and 
thus  they  confirmed  themselves  in  the  hope  of  salvation, 
though  it  did  not  immediately  appear :  though  they  long  re- 
mained in  darkness,  and  the  exile  was  long  which  they  had 
to  endiure,  they  yet  did  not  cease  to  hope  :  "  Well,  let  the 
two  days  pass,  and  the  Lord  will  revive  us." 

We  see  that  a  consolation  is  here  opposed  to  the  temp- 
tations, which  take  from  us  the  hope  of  salvation,  when 
God  suspends  his  favour  longer  than  our  flesh  desires. 
Martha  said  to  Christ,  '  He  is  now  putrid,  it  is  the  fourth 
day.'  She  thought  it  absurd  to  remove  the  stone  from  the 
sepulchre,  because  now  the  body  of  Lazarus  was  putrified. 


CHAP.  VI.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  219 

But  Christ  in  this  instance  designed  to  show  his  own  in- 
credible power  by  restoring  a  putrid  body  to  life.  So  the 
faithful  say  here,  The  Lord  loill  raise  us  up  after  two  days  : 
"  Though  exile  seems  to  be  like  the  sepulchre,  where  putridity 
awaits  us,  yet  the  Lord  will,  by  his  ineiFable  power,  overcome 
whatever  may  seem  to  obstruct  our  restoration."  We  now 
perceive,  as  I  think,  the  simple  and  genuine  sense  of  this 
passage. 

But  at  the  same  time  I  do  not  deny  but  that  God  has  ex- 
hibited a  remarkable  and  a  memorable  instance  of  what  is 
here  said  in  his  only-begotten  Son.  As  often  then  as  delay 
begets  wearmess  in  us,  and  when  God  seems  to  have  thrown 
aside  every  care  of  us,  let  us  flee  to  Christ ;  for,  as  it  has 
been  said.  His  resurrection  is  a  mirror  of  our  life ;  for  we  see 
in  that  how  God  is  wont  to  deal  with  his  own  people :  the 
Father  did  not  restore  life  to  Christ  as  soon  as  he  was  taken 
down  from  the  cross  ;  he  was  deposited  in  the  sepulchre,  and 
he  lay  there  to  the  third  day.  When  God  then  intends  that 
we  should  languish  for  a  time,  let  us  know  that  we  are  thus 
represented  in  Christ  our  head,  and  hence  let  us  gather  ma- 
terials of  confidence.  We  have  then  in  Christ  an  illustrious 
proof  of  this  prophecy.  But  in  the  first  place,  let  us  lay  hold 
on  what  we  have  said,  that  the  faithful  here  obtain  hope  for 
themselves,  though  God  extends  not  immediately  his  hand 
to  them,  but  defers  for  a  time  his  grace  of  redemption. 

Then  he  adds,  IFe  shall  live  in  his  sight,  or  before  him. 
Here  again  the  faithful  strengthen  themselves,  for  God  would 
favour  them  with  his  paternal  countenance,  after  he  had  long- 
turned  his  back  on  them,  We  shall  live  before  his  face.  For  as 
long  as  God  cares  not  for  us,  a  sure  destruction  awaits  us  ; 
but  as  soon  as  he  turns  his  eyes  to  us,  he  inspires  life  by  his 
look  alone.  Then  the  faithful  promise  this  good  to  them- 
selves, that  God's  face  will  shine  again  after  long  darkness  : 
hence  also  they  gather  the  hope  of  life,  and  at  the  same  time 
withdraw  themselves  from  all  those  obstacles  which  obscure 
the  light  of  life ;  for  while  we  run  and  wander  here  and  there, 
we  cannot  lay  hold  on  the  life  which  God  promises  to  us,  as 
the  charms  of  this  world  are  so  many  veils,  which  prevent  our 
eyes  to  see  the  paternal  face  of  God.   We  must  then  remem- 


220  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVI. 

ber  that  this,  sentence  is  added,  that  the  faithful,  when  it 
pleases  God  to  turn  his  back  on  them,  may  not  doubt  but 
that  he  will  again  look  on  them.     Let  us  now  go  on — 

3.  Then  sliall  we  know,  tfweM-  3.  Etcognoscemusetperseque- 
low  on  to  know  the  Lord  :  his  going  mnr  ad  cognitionem  Jehovse:  sicut 
forth  is  prepared  as  the  morning  ;  aurora  dispositus  est  egressus 
and  he  shall  come  mito  us  as  the  ejus,  et  veniet  tanquam  pluvia 
rain,  as  the  latter  and  former  rain  nobis,  tanquam  pluvia  serotina, 
unto  the  earth.  pluvia  terrge.^ 

In  this  verse  the  faithful  pursue  what  we  have  before  con- 
sidered, making  the  hope  of  salvation  sure  to  themselves  :  nor 
is  it  a  matter  of  wonder  that  the  Prophet  dwells  more  fully 
on  this  subject;  for  we  know  how  prone  we  are  to  entertain 
doubt.  There  is  nothing  more  difficult,  especially  when  God 
shows  to  us  signs  of  his  wrath,  than  to  recover  us,  so  that  we 
may  be  really  persuaded  that  he  is  our  physician,  when  he 
seems  to  visit  us  for  our  sins.  We  must  then,  in  this  case, 
earnestly  strive,  for  it  cannot  be  done  without  labour.  Hence 
the  faithful  now  say.  We  shall  knoic,  and  ice  sliall  -pursue  to 
know  Jehovah.  They  show  then  by  these  words  that  they 
distrust  not,  but  that  light  would  arise  after  darkness ;  for 
this  is  the  meaning  of  the  words  :  We  shall  then  know^  they 
say ;  that  is,  "  Though  there  is  now  on  every  side  horrible 
darkness,  yet  the  Lord  will  manifest  his  goodness  to  us,  even 
though  it  may  not  immediately  appear."  They  therefore  add, 
And  we  shall  pursue  after  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah.  We  now 
perceive  the  purport  of  the  words. 

Now  this  passage  teaches  us,  that  when  God  hides  his  face, 
we  act  foolishly  if  we  cherish  our  unbelief;  for  we  ought,  on 
the  contrary,  as  I  have  already  said,  to  contend  with  this 
destructive  disease,  inasmuch  as  Satan  seeks  nothing  else  but 

'  The  last  clause,  word  for  word,  is  the  following : — "  And  he  shall 
come  as  a  shower  to  us,  as  the  crop-rain,  ii-rigating  the  earth." 

The  reference  here  seems  to  be  only  to  "  the  crop-rain,"  the  rain  which 
ripened  the  crop.  The  only  difficulty  is  about  the  word  rendered  "  irri- 
gating." Its  leading  idea  is,  to  guide,  direct,  regulate :  and  doubtless 
what  regulates  and  determines  the  produce  of  the  earth  is  the  rain.  It 
may  be  rendered  "  regulating,"  that  is,  the  fruitfulness  of  the  earth. 
There  is  no  other  construction  that  suits  the  place,  without  supposing 
something  left  out,  as  the  preposition  'p  before  "  earth."  "  Which  water- 
pth  the  earth,"  is  the  version  of  Neurome. — Ed. 


CHAP.  VI.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  221 

to  sink  us  in  despair.  This  his  device  then  ought  to  be  un- 
derstood by  us,  as  Paul  reminds  us,  (2  Cor.  ii.  11 ;)  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  supplies  us  here  with  weapons,  by  which  we  may 
repel  this  temptation  of  Satan,  "  What  ?  thou  seest  that  God 
is  angry  with  thee  ;  nor  is  it  of  any  use  to  thee  to  attempt  to 
come  to  him,  for  every  access  is  shut  up."  This  is  what  Satan 
suggests  to  us,  when  we  are  sensible  of  our  sins.  What  is  to 
be  done  ?  The  Prophet  here  propounds  a  remedy,  We  shall 
know ;  "  Though  now  we  are  sunk  in  thick  darkness,  though 
there  never  shines  on  us,  no,  not  even  a  spark  of  light,  yet  we 
shall  know  (as  Isaiah  says,  '  I  will  hope  in  the  Lord,  who 
hides  his  face  from  Jacob')  that  this  is  the  tru.e  exercise  of 
our  faith,  when  we  lift  up  our  eyes  to  the  light  which  seems 
to  be  extinguished,  and  when  in  the  darkness  of  death  we  yet 
continue  to  promise  to  ourselves  life,  as  we  are  here  taught : 
We  shall  then  know;  further.  We  shall  pursue  after  the  know- 
ledge of  Jehovah  ;  though  God  withdraws  his  face,  and,  as  it 
were  designedly,  doubles  the  darkness,  and  all  knowledge  of 
his  grace  be,  as  it  were,  extinct,  we  shall  yet  pursue  after  this 
knowledge;  that  is,  no  obstacle  shall  keep  us  from  striving, 
and  our  efforts  will  at  length  make  their  way  to  that  grace 
which  seems  to  be  wholly  excluded  from  us." 

Some  give  this  rendering.  We  shall  knoio,  and  shall  pursue 
on  to  knoiv  Jehovah,  and  explain  the  passage  thus, — that  the 
Israelites  had  derived  no  such  benefit  from  the  law  of  Moses, 
but  that  they  still  expected  the  fuller  doctrine,  which  Christ 
brought  at  his  coming.  They  then  think  that  this  is  a  pro- 
phecy respecting  that  doctrine,  which  is  now  by  the  Gospel 
set  forth  to  us  in  its  full  brightness,  because  God  has  mani- 
fested himself  in  his  Son  as  in  a  living  image.  But  this  is 
too  refined  an  exposition ;  and  it  is  enough  for  us  to  keep 
close  to  the  design  of  the  Prophet.  He  indeed  introduces 
the  godly  thus  speaking  for  this  reason — because  there  was 
need  of  great  and  strong  effort,  that  they  might  rise  up  to 
the  hope  of  salvation ;  for  it  was  not  to  be  the  exile  of  one 
day,  but  of  seventy  years.  When  therefore  so  heavy  a  trial 
awaited  the  godly,  the  Prophet  here  wished  to  prepare  them 
for  the  laborious  warfare  ;  We  shall  then  know,  andfolloic  on 
to  know  Jehovah. 


222  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVI. 

Then  he  says,  As  the  morning  shall  come  to  us  his  going  forth, 
— a  similitude  the  most  appropriate;  for  here  the  faithful  call 
to  mind  the  continued  succession  of  days  and  nights.  No 
wonder  that  God  bids  us  to '  hope  for  his  grace,  the  sight  of 
which  is  yet  hid  from  us ;  for  except  we  had  learnt  by  long 
experience,  who  could  hope  for  sudden  light  when  the  dark- 
ness of  night  prevails  ?  Should  we  not  think  that  the  earth 
is  wholly  deprived  of  light  ?  But  seeing  that  the  dawn  sud- 
denly shines,  and  puts  an  end  to  the  darkness  of  night,  and 
dispels  it,  what  wonder  is  it  that  the  Lord  should  shine  forth 
beyond  our  expectation  ?  His  going  forth  then  shall  he  like 
the  morning. 

He  here  calls  a  new  manifestation  the  going  forth  of  God, 
that  is,  when  God  shows  that  he  regards  his  people  with 
favour,  when  he  shows  that  he  is  mindful  of  the  covenant 
which  he  made  with  Abraham;  for  as  long  as  the  people  were 
exiled  from  their  country,  God  seemed  not,  as  we  have  said, 
to  look  on  them  any  more ;  nay,  the  judgment  of  the  flesh 
only  suggested  this,  that  God  was  far  distant  from  his  people. 
He  then  calls  it  the  going  forth  of  God,  when  God  should  show 
himself  propitious  to  the  captives,  and  should  wholly  restore 
them ;  then  the  going  forth  of  God  shall  come,  and  shall  be  like 
the  morning.  We  now  then  see  that  he  confirms  them  by  the 
order  of  nature,  as  Paul  does,  when  he  chides  the  unbelief  of 
those  to  whom  a  future  resurrection  seemed  incredible,  be- 
cause it  surpasses  the  thoughts  of  the  flesh ;  "  O  fool !"  he 
says,  "dost  thou  not  see  that  what  thou  sowest  first  decays 
and  then  germinates  ?  God  now  sets  before  thee  in  a  decay- 
ing seed  an  emblem  of  the  future  resurrection."  So  also  in 
this  place,  since  light  daily  rises  to  us,  and  the  morning 
shines  after  the  darkness  of  night,  what  then  will  not  the  Lord 
effect  by  himself,  who  works  so  powerfully  by  material  things  ? 
When  he  will  put  forth  his  full  power,  what,  think  we,  will 
he  do  ?  Will  he  not  much  more  surpass  all  the  thoughts  of 
our  flesh  ?    We  now  then  see  why  this  similitude  was  added. 

He  afterwards  describes  to  us  the  effect  of  this  manifesta- 
tion. He  shall  come,  he  says,  as  the  rain  to  us,  as  the  late  rain, 
a  rain  to  the  earth.  This  comparison  shows,  that  as  soon  as 
God  will  deign  to  look  on  his  people,  his  countenance  will  be 


CHAP.  VI.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  223 

like  the  rain,  which  irrigates  the  earth.  When  the  earth  is  dry 
after  long  heat  and  long  drought,  it  seems  to  be  incapable  of 
producing  fruit;  but  rain  restores  to  it  its  moisture  and  vigour. 
Thus  then  the  Prophet,  in  the  person  of  the  faithful,  does 
here  strengthen  the  hope  of  a  fuU  restoration.  He  shall  come 
to  us  as  the  rain^  as  the  late  rain. 

The  Hebrews  call  the  late  rain  SJ^Ip^Jb?  mehkiish,  by  which 
the  corn  was  ripened.  And  it  seems  that  the  Prophet  meant 
the  vernal  rain  by  the  word  D£J^j|,  (/eshem.  But  the  sense  is 
clearly  this,  that  though  the  Israelites  had  become  so  dry  that 
they  had  no  longer  any  vigour,  there  would  yet  be  no  less 
virtue  in  God's  grace  than  in  the  rain,  which  fructifies  the 
earth  when  it  seems  to  be  barren.  But  when  at  the  end  he 
adds,  a  rain  to  the  earth,  I  doubt  not  but  that  he  meant  sea- 
sonable rain,  which  is  pleasant  and  acceptable  to  the  earth,  or 
which  the  earth  really  wants  ;  for  a  violent  shower  cannot  be 
called  properly  a  rain  to  the  earth,  because  it  is  destructive 
and  hurtful.     It  follows — 

4.  O  Ephraim,  what  shall  I  do  unto  4.  Quid  faciam  tibi  Ephraim  ? 

thee  ?  O  Judah,  what  shall  I  do  unto  quid  faciam  tibi  Jehudah  ?  uam 

thee  ?  for  your  goodness  is  as  a  morn-  bonitas   vestra   est    quasi  ros 

ing  cloud,  and  as  the  early  dew  it  go-  matutinus,  quasi  nebula  mane 

eth  away.  transiens. 

Some  so  expound  this  passage  as  that  God  would  not  once 
irrigate  his  people,  but  would  continue  this  favour ;  as  though 
he  said,  "  He  is  deceived,  who  thinks  that  the  redemption, 
which  I  bid  you  to  hope  from  me,  will  be  momentary,  for  I 
will,  by  a  continued  progress,  lead  my  people  to  a  full  fruition 
of  salvation."  But  this  sense  is  altogether  foreign.  The  Pro- 
phet then,  no  doubt,  introduces  God  here  as  speaking  thus, 
"  What  shall  I  do  to  you  ?  because  ye  cannot  receive  my  fa- 
vour, so  great  is  your  depravity."  The  context  seems  indeed 
to  be  in  this  way  broken  off;  but  we  must  remember  this 
canon,  that  whenever  the  Prophets  make  known  the  grace  of 
God,  they  at  the  same  time  add  an  exception,  lest  hypocrites 
falsely  apply  to  themselves  what  is  offered  to  the  faithful 
alone.  The  Prophets,  we  know,  never  threatened  ruin  to  the 
people,  but  that  they  added  some  promise,  lest  the  faithful 
should  despair,  which  must  have  been  the  case,  except  some 


224  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XVI. 

mitigation  had  been  made  known  to  them.  Hence  the  Pro- 
phets do  this  in  common, — they  moderate  their  threatenings 
and  severity  by  adding  a  hope  of  God's  favour.  But  at  the 
same  time,  as  hypocrites  ever  draw  to  themselves  what  be- 
longs only  to  the  faithful,  and  thus  heedlessly  deride  God, 
the  Prophets  add  another  exception,  by  which  they  signify, 
that  God's  promise  of  being  gracious  and  merciful  to  his 
people  is  not  to  be  deemed  universal,  and  as  appertaining  to 
all  indiscriminately. 

I  will  more  fully  repeat  this  again  :  The  Prophets  had  to 
do  with  the  whole  people;  they  had  to  do  with  the  few  faith- 
ful, for  there  was  a  small  number  of  godly  people  among  the 
Israelites  as  well  as  among  the  Jews.  When  therefore  the 
Prophets  reproved  the  people,  they  addressed  the  whole  body  : 
but  at  the  same  time,  as  there  was  some  remnant  seed,  they 
mingled,  as  I  have  said,  consolations,  and  mingled  them,  that 
the  elect  of  God  might  ever  recumb  on  his  mercy,  and  thus 
patiently  submit  to  his  rod,  and  continue  in  his  fear,  knowing 
that  there  is  in  him  a  sure  salvation.  Hence  the  promises 
which  we  see  inserted  by  the  Prophets  among  threats  and 
chidinffs,  ou^ht  not  to  be  referred  in  common  to  all,  or  indis- 
criminately  to  the  people,  but  only,  as  we  have  said,  to  the 
faithful,  who  were  then  but  few  in  number.  This  then  is  the 
reason  why  the  Prophets  shook  off  self-complacencies  from 
the  wicked  despisers  of  God,  when  they  added,  "  Ye  ought 
not  to  hope  any  salvation  from  the  promise  I  set  forth  to 
God's  children  ;  for  God  throws  not  to  dogs  the  bread  which 
he  has  destined  for  his  children  alone."  In  the  same  strain 
we  find  another  Prophet  speaking,  '  To  what  end  is  the  day 
of  the  Lord  to  you  ?  It  is  a  day  of  darkness,  and  not  of  light, 
a  day  of  death,  and  not  of  life,'  (Amos  v.  18.)  For  as  often 
as  they  heard  of  the  covenant  which  God  made  with  Abra- 
ham, that  it  would  not  be  void,  they  thus  vaunted,  "  We  are 
now  indeed  severely  treated,  but  in  a  little  while  God  will 
rescue  us  from  our  evils ;  for  he  is  our  Father,  he  has  not  in 
vain  adopted  us,  he  has  not  in  vain  redeemed  and  chosen  our 
race,  we  are  his  peculiar  possession  and  heritage."  Thus  then 
the  presumptuous  flatter  themselves  ;  and  this  indeed  they 
seem  to  have  in  common  with  the  faithful ;  for  the  faithful 


CHAP.  VI.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  225 

also,  though  in  the  deepest  abyss  of  death,  yet  behold  the 
light  of  life ;  for  by  faith,  as  we  have  said,  they  penetrate  be- 
yond this  world.  But  at  the  same  time  they  approach  God 
in  real  penitence,  while  the  ungodly  remain  in  their  perverse- 
ness,  and  vainly  flatter  themselves,  thinking  that  whatever 
God  promises  belongs  to  them. 

Let  us  now  then  return  to  our  Prophet.  He  had  said, 
"  In  their  tribulation  they  will  seek  me  : "  he  had  afterwards, 
in  the  words  used  by  the  people,  explained  how  the  faithful 
would  turn  themselves  to  God,  and  what  true  repentance 
w^ould  bring  with  it.  It  now  follows,  TVhai  shall  I  do  to  thee, 
Ephraim  ?  what  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Judah  f  that  is,  "  What 
shall  I  do  to  all  of  you  ?"  The  people  was  now  divided  into 
two  kingdoms :  the  kingdom  of  Judah  had  its  own  name ; 
the  ten  tribes  had,  as  it  has  been  said,  the  common  name  of 
Israel.  Then  after  the  Prophet  gave  hope  of  pardon  to  the 
children  of  God,  he  turns  himself  to  the  whole  body  of  the 
people,  which  was  corrupt,  and  says,  "  What  shall  I  do  now  to 
you,  both  Jews  and  Israelites  ?"  Now  God,  by  these  words, 
intimates  that  he  had  tried  all  remedies,  and  found  them  use- 
less :  "  What  more  then,"  he  says,  "  shall  I  do  to  you  ?  Ye 
are  wholly  incurable,  ye  are  inexcusable,  and  altogether  past 
hope ;  for  no  means  have  been  omitted  by  me,  by  which  I 
could  promote  your  salvation ;  but  I  have  lost  all  my  labour ; 
as  I  have  effected  nothing  by  punishments  and  chastisements, 
as  my  favour  also  has  had  no  account  among  you,  what  now 
remains,  but  that  I  must  wholly  cast  you  away  ?" 

We  now  then  see  how  varied  is  the  mode  of  speaking 
adopted  by  the  Prophets  ;  for  they  had  to  do,  not  with  one 
class  of  men,  but  with  the  children  of  God,  and  also  with 
the  wicked,  who  continued  obstinately  in  their  vices.  Hence 
then  it  was,  that  they  changed  their  language,  and  so  neces- 
sarily. Alike  is  the  complaint  we  read  in  Isaiah,  chap,  i,, 
except  that  there  mention  is  only  made  of  punishments, 
*  Why  should  I  strike  you  more  ?  for  I  have  hitherto  effected 
nothing :  from  the  sole  of  the  foot  to  the  top  of  the  head 
there  is  no  soundness ;  and  yet  ye  remain  like  yourselves.' 
In  chap.  V.  he  speaks  of  God's  favours,  '  What  could  have 
been  done  more  to  my  vineyard  than  what  I  have  done  ?' 
VOL.  I.  P 


226  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XVJ. 

In  these  two  places  the  Prophet  shows  that  the  people  were 
so  lost,  that  they  could  not  be  brought  into  a  sane  mind  ;  for 
God  had  in  various  ways  tried  to  heal  them,  and  their  dis- 
eases remained  incurable. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  words  of  Hosea,  What  shall  I  do 
to  thee,  Ephraim  ?  what  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Judah  ?  "  I  indeed 
oflPer  pardon  to  all,  but  ye  still  continue  obstinately  in  your 
sins  ;  nay,  my  favour  is  by  you  scorned  :  I  do  not  [therefore 
now  contend  with  you ;  but  declare  to  you  that  the  door  of 
salvation  is  closed."  Why  ?  "  Because  I  have  hitherto  in 
various  ways  tried  in  vain  to  heal  you." 

He  afterwards  says  that  their  goodness  was  like  the  morn- 
ing dew.  Your  goodness,  he  says,  is  as  the  dew  of  the  morning} 
Some  take  IDHj  chesad,  for  the  kindness  which  God  had  exer- 
cised towards  both  the  Israelites  and  the  Jews.  Then  it  is, 
"  Your  kindness,"  that  is,  the  mercy  which  I  have  hitherto 
exhibited  to  you,  is  as  the  morning  dew,  as  the  cloud  which  passes 
away  early  in  the  morning,  that  is,  "  Ye  immediately  dry  up  my 
favour ;"  and  this  seems  not  unsuitable,  for  we  see  that  the 
unbelieving  by  their  wickedness  absorb  the  mercy  of  God, 
so  that  it  produces  no  good,  as  when  rain  flows  over  a  rock 
or  a  stone,  while  the  stone  within,  on  account  of  its  hardness, 
remains  dry.  As  then  the  moisture  of  rain  does  not  pene- 
trate into  stones,  so  also  the  grace  of  God  is  spent  in  vain 
and  without  advantage  on  the  unbelieving. 

But  the  Prophet  speaks  rather  of  their  goodness,  that  they 
made  a  show  of  feigned  excellency,  which  vanished  like  the 
morning  dew ;  for  as  soon  as  the  sun  rises,  it  draws  the  dew 
upwards,  so  that  it  appears  no  more;  the  clouds  also  pass  away. 
The  Prophet  says  that  the  Jews  and  the  Israelites  were  like 
the  morning  clouds  and  the  dew,  because  there  was  in  them  no 
solid  or  inward  goodness,  but  it  was  only  of  an  evanescent  kind; 
they  had,  as  they  say,  only  the  appearance  of  goodness. 

We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  that 
God  here  complains  that   he   had  to  do  with   hypocrites. 

^  It  is  somewhat  singular  that  Calvin,  both  in  his  version  and  exposi- 
tion, reverses  the  order  of  the  two  last  clauses  of  this  verse.  He  intro- 
duces "  the  dew"  before  "  the  cloud."  There  is  no  authority  whatever  for 
this  change ;  and  there  is  no  apparent  reason  for  it :  but  the  change 
makes  no  difference  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  passage. — Ed. 


CHAP.  VI.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  227 

Faith,  we  know,  is  regarded  by  him ;  there  is  nothing  that 
pleases  God  more  than  sincerity  of  heart.  We  know  further, 
that  doctrine  is  spread  in  vain,  except  it  be  received  in  a 
serious  manner.  Then,  as  hypocrites  transform  themselves 
in  various  ways,  and  make  a  display  of  some  guises  of 
goodness,  while  they  have  nothing  solid  in  them,  God 
complains  that  he  loses  all  his  labour :  and  he  says  at 
length  that  he  will  no  longer  spend  labour  in  vain  on  hypo- 
critical men,  who  have  nothing  but  falsehood  and  dissimu- 
lation ;  and  this  is  what  he  means,  when  he  intimates  that 
he  should  do  nothing  more  to  the  Israelites  and  the  Jews. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  do  not,  by  dne  gratitude, 
respond  to  thy  favours,  and  after  having  tasted  of  thy  mercy, 
have  willingly  sought  ruin  to  ourselves, -r—O  grant,  that  we, 
being  renewed  by  thy  Spirit,  may  not  only  remain  constant 
in  the  fear  of  thy  name,  but  also  advance  more  and  more  and 
be  established;  that  being  thus  armed  with  thy  invincible 
power,  we  may  strenuously  fight  against  all  the  wiles  and  as- 
saults of  Satan,  and  thus  pursue  our  warfare  to  the  end, — and 
that  being  thus  sustained  by  thy  mercy,  we  may  ever  aspire  to 
that  life  which  is  hid  for  us  in  heaven,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.     Amen. 


5.  Therefore  have  I  hewed  them  by  the  5.  Propterea  secui  (vel,  ex- 
Prophets  ;  I  have  slain  them  by  the  cidi)  in  Prophetis  meis,  oc- 
words  of  my  mouth  :  and  my  judgments  cidi  eos  in  verbis  oris  mei,  et 
are  as  the  light  that  goeth  forth,  judiciatua^  lux  quae  egreditur. 

God  shows  here,  by  his  Prophet,  that  he  was  constrained 
by  urgent  necessity  to  deal  sharply  and  roughly  with  the 
people.  Nothing,  we  know,  is  more  pleasing  to  God  than  to 
treat  us  kindly ;  for  there  is  not  found  a  father  in  the  world 
who  cherishes  his  children  as  tenderly :  but  we,  being  per- 
verse, suffer  him  not  to  follow  the  inclination  of  his  nature. 

'  There  is  no  authority,  as  Horsley  says,  for  "my,"  instead  of  "  thy 
judgments,"  in  our  version;  for  there  are  no  readings  in  the  Hebrew 
MSS.  which  favour  the  change.  The  Bishop  refers  to  Calvin,  and  ex- 
pressly approves  of  his  exposition  of  this  passage.  His  own  version  is 
the  following : — 

"  And  the  precepts  given  thee  were  as  the  onward-going  light." 


228  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PBOPHETS.      LECT.  XTII. 

He  Is  therefore  constrained  to  put  on,  as  it  were,  a  new  char- 
acter, and  to  chide  us  severely,  according  to  the  way  in 
which,  he  here  says,  he  had  treated  the  Israelites ;  I  have  cut 
them,  he  says,  hy  my  Prophets,  and  killed  them  by  the  words  of 
my  mouth. 

Some  render  the  words  otherwise,  as  though  God  had 
killed  the  Prophets,  meaning  thereby  the  impostors,  who  cor- 
rupted the  pure  worship  of  God  by  their  errors.  But  this 
view  seems  not  to  me  in  any  way  suitable;  and  we  know 
that  it  was  a  common  mode  of  speaking  among  the  Hebrews, 
to  express  the  same  thing  in  two  ways.  So  the  Prophet 
speaks  here,  /  have  cut  or  hewed  them  by  my  Prophets,  I  have 
killed  them  by  the  words  of  my  mouth.  In  the  second  clause  he 
repeats,  I  doubt  not,  what  we  have  already  briefly  explained, 
namely,  that  God  had  cut  or  hewed  them  by  his  Prophets. 

But  we  must  see  for  what  purpose  God  declares  here  that 
he  had  commanded  his  Prophets  to  treat  the  people  roughly. 
Hypocrites  we  indeed  know,  however  much  in  various  ways 
they  mock  God,  are  yet  tender,  and  cannot  bear  any  rebuke. 
Their  sins  are  gross,  except  when  they  disguise  themselves  ; 
but  at  the  same  time,  when  God  begins  to  reprove,  they  ex- 
postulate and  say,  "  What  does  this  mean  ?  God  everywhere 
declares  that  he  is  kind  and  merciful ;  but  he  fulminates  now 
against  tis  :  this  seems  not  consistent  with  his  nature."  Thus 
then  hypocrites  would  have  God  to  be  their  flatterer.  He 
now  answers,  that  he  had  been  constrained,  not  only  for  a 
just  cause,  but  also  necessarily,  to  kill  them,  and  to  make  his 
word  by  the  Prophets  like  a  hammer  or  an  axe.  This  is  the 
reason,  he  says,  why  my  Prophets  have  not  endeavoured 
mildly  and  gently  to  allure  the  people.  For  God  kindly  and 
sweetly  draws  or  invites  to  himself  those  whom  he  sees  to  be 
teachable ;  but  when  he  sees  so  great  a  perverseness  in  men, 
that  he  cannot  bend  them  by  his  goodness,  he  then  begins, 
as  we  have  said,  to  put  on  a  new  character.  We  now  then 
understand  God's  design:  that  hypocrites  might  not  complain 
that  they  had  been  otherwise  treated  than  what  is  consistent 
with  God's  nature,  the  Prophet  here  answers  in  God's  name, 
"  Ye  have  forced  me  to  this  severity  ;  for  there  was  need  of 
a  hard  wedge,  as  they  say,  for  a  hard  knot :  /  have  therefore 
hev^ed  you  by  my  Prophets,  I  have  killed  you  by  the  words  of  my 


CHAP.  VI.  6,  7.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  229 


mouth ;  that  Is,  I  have  used  my  word  as  an  axe,  for  ye  were 
like  knotty  and  tough  wood  ;  it  was  therefore  necessary  that 
my  word  should  be  to  you  like  an  axe  :  and  I  have  killed  you 
by  the  words  of  my  mouth ;  that  is,  my  word  has  not  been 
sweet  food  to  you,  as  it  is  wont  to  be  to  meek  men ;  but  it 
has  been  like  a  two-edged  sword ;  it  was  therefore  necessary 
to  slay  you,  as  ye  would  not  bear  me  to  be  a  Father  to  you." 
It  then  follows,  Thy  judgments  are  light  that  goeth  forth. 
Some  understand  by  "judgments"  prosperity,  as  if  God  were 
here  reproaching  the  Israelites,  that  it  was  not  his  fault 
that  he  did  not  win  them  :  "  I  have  not  neglected  to  treat 
you  kindly,  and  under  my  protection  to  defend  you  ;  but  ye 
are  ungrateful."  But  this  is  a  strained  exposition.  The 
greater  part  of  interpreters  explain  the  passage  thus,  "  That 
thy  judgments  might  be  a  light  going  forth."  But  I  do  not 
see  why  we  should  change  any  thing  in  the  Prophet's  words. 
God  then  simply  intimates  here,  that  he  had  made  known  to 
the  Israelites  the  rule  of  a  religious  and  holy  life,  so  that  they 
could  not  pretend  ignorance  ;  for  the  Hebrews  often  under- 
stand "judgments"  in  the  sense  of  rectitude.  I  refer  this 
to  the  instruction  given  them :  Thy  judgments  then,  that  is, 
the  way  of  living  religiously,  was  like  light ;  which  means  this, 
"  I  have  so  warned  you,  that  you  have  sinned  knowingly  and 
wilfully.  Hence,  that  you  have  been  so  disobedient  to  me, 
must  be  imputed  to  your  perverseness ;  for  when  ye  were 
pliant,  I  certainly  did  not  conceal  from  you  what  was  right : 
for  as  the  sun  daily  shines  on  the  earth,  so  my  teaching  has 
been  to  you  as  the  light,  to  show  to  you  the  way  of  salvation ; 
but  it  has  been  with  no  profit."  We  now  then  understand 
what  the  Prophet  meant  by  these  words.     It  follows — 

6.  For  I  desired  mercy,  6.  Quia  misericordiam  volo  (re/,  quia  hu- 
and  not  sacrifice  ;  and  the  manitas  placet  milii)  et  non  sacrificium  ;  et 
knowledge  of  God  more  cognitio  Dei  (placet  mihi,  suhaudiendum  est) 
than  bm'nt-offerings.  praa  holocaustis. 

7.  But  they,  like  men,  7.  Et  ipsi  tanquam  homines  transgressi 
have  transgressed  the  co-  sunt  pactum  ; '  illic  pei"fide  egerunt  in  me 
venant :  there  have  they  (vel^  Tanquam  hominis  pactum  transgressi 
dealt  treacherously  against  sunt,  ut  postea  videbimus.) 

me. 

1  "  But  they,  like  Adam,  have  transgressed  the  covenant." — Newcome. 
So  Horsky  renders  it,  and  also  Grotius ;  but  the  Septuagint,  Pagninus, 
and  others,  favour  our  version,  and  that  of  Calvin. — Ed. 


230  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XVII. 

God  In  this  place  declares  that  he  desires  mercy,  and  not 
sacrifices ;  and  he  does  so  to  prevent  an  objection,  and  to  an- 
ticipate all  frivolous  pretences.  There  is  never  wanting  to 
hypocrites,  we  well  know,  a  cover  for  themselves ;  and  so 
great  is  their  assurance,  that  they  hesitate  not  sometimes  to 
contend  with  God.  It  is  indeed  their  common  practice  to 
maintain  that  they  worship  God,  provided  they  offer  sacrifices 
to  him,  provided  they  toil  in  ceremonies,  and  accumulate 
many  rites.  They  think  then  that  God  is  made  bound  to 
them,  and  that  they  have  fully  performed  their  duty.  This 
evil  has  been  common  in  all  ages.  The  Prophet  therefore 
anticipates  this  evasion,  and  says,  Mercy  I  desire,  and  not  sa- 
crifice; as  though  he  said,  "  I  know  what  you  are  ready  to 
allege,  and  that  you  will  say,  that  you  offer  sacrifices  to  me, 
that  you  perform  all  the  ceremonies;  but  this  excuse  is  deemed 
by  me  frivolous  and  of  no  moment."  Why  ?  "  Because  I 
desire  not  sacrifices,  but  mercy  and  faith."  We  now  under- 
stand the  main  object  of  this  verse. 

It  is  a  remarkable  passage ;  the  Son  of  God  has  twice 
quoted  it.  The  Pharisees  reproached  him  for  his  intercourse 
with  men  of  bad  and  abandoned  life,  and  he  said  to  them  in 
Matth.  chap,  ix.,  'Mercy  I  desire,  and  not  sacrifice:'  he  shows, 
by  this  defence,  that  God  is  not  worshipped  by  external  cere- 
monies, but  when  men  forgive  and  bear  with  one  another, 
and  are  not  above  measure  rigid.  Again,  in  the  twelfth  chap- 
ter of  Matthew,  when  the  Pharisees  blamed  the  disciples  for 
gathering  ears  of  corn,  he  said,  '  But  rather  go  and  learn  what 
this  is,  Mercy  I  desire,  and  not  sacrifice.'  Inasmuch  as  they 
were  so  severe  against  his  disciples,  Christ  shows  that  those 
who  make  holiness  to  consist  in  ceremonies  are  foolish  wor- 
shippers of  God ;  and  that  they  also  blamed  their  brethren 
without  a  cause,  and  made  a  crime  of  what  was  not  in  itself 
sinful,  and  what  could  be  easily  defended  by  any  wise  and 
calm  expounder. 

But  that  we  may  more  fully  understand  this  sentence  of  the 
Prophet,  it  must  be  observed,  first,  that  the  outward  worship 
of  God,  and  all  legal  ceremonies,  are  included  under  the  name 
of  sacrifice  and  burnt-offerings.  These  words  then  comprise 
a  part  for  the  whole.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  word 
IDHj  chesad,  which  means,  mercy  or  kindness ;  for  the  Pro- 


CHAP.  VI.  6,  7.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  231 

phet  here,  no  doubt,  sets  faith  or  piety  towards  God,  and  love 
towards  neighbours,  in  opposition  to  all  external  ceremonies. 
"  I  desire,"  he  says,  "mercy;"  or,  "mercy  pleases  me  more 
than  sacrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of  God  pleases  me  more 
than  burnt-offerings."  The  knowledge  of  God  here  is  doubt- 
less to  be  taken  for  faith  or  piety,  because  hypocrites  suppose 
that  God  is  rightly  worshipped  when  they  use  many  cere- 
monies. The  Prophet  derides  all  such  pomp  and  empty 
show,  and  says,  that  the  worshipping  of  God  is  far  different ; 
it  being  only  done  when  he  is  known.  The  chief  point 
is,  that  God  desires  to  be  worshipped  otherwise  than  sen- 
sual men  dream;  for  they  only  display  theu*  rites,  and 
neglect  the  spiritual  worship  of  God,  which  stands  in  faith 
and  love. 

These  two  clauses  ought  then  to  be  read  conjointly — that 
kindness  pleases  God — and  that  faith  pleases  God.  Faith  by 
itself  cannot  please  God,  since  it  cannot  even  exist  without 
love  to  our  neighbour ;  and  then,  human  kindness  is  not  suf- 
ficient ;  for  were  any  one  to  abstain  from  doing  any  injury, 
and  from  hurting  his  brethren  in  any  thing,  he  might  be  still 
a  profane  man,  and  a  despiser  of  God;  and  certainly  his  kind- 
ness would  be  then  of  no  avail  to  him.  We  hence  see  that 
these  two  sentences  cannot  be  separated,  and  that  what  the 
Prophet  says  is  equally  the  same  as  if  he  had  connected  piety 
with  love.  The  meaning  is,  that  God  values  faith  and  kind- 
ness much  more  than  sacrifices  and  all  ceremonies.  But  when 
the  Prophet  says  that  sacrifice  does  not  please  God,  he  speaks, 
no  doubt,  comparatively ;  for  God  does  not  positively  repu- 
diate sacrifices  enjoined  in  his  own  law ;  but  he  prefers  faith 
and  love  to  them  ;  as  we  more  clearly  learn  from  the  particle 
jb,  mem,  when  he  says,  Hl/iyttj  mQoulut,  "than  burnt-offerings." 
It  then  appears  that  God  is  not  inconsistent  with  himself,  as 
though  he  rejected  sacrifices  which  he  himself  had  appointed ; 
but  that  he  condemns  the  preposterous  abuse  of  them,  in 
which  hypocrites  gloried. 

And  here  two  things  are  to  be  noticed  :  God  requires  not 
external  ceremonies,  as  if  they  availed  any  thing  of  themselves, 
but  for  a  different  end.  Faith  of  itself  pleases  God,  as  also 
does  love ;  for  they  are,  as  they  say,  of  the  class  of  good 


232  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XVII. 

works  :  but  sacrifices  are  to  be  regarded  differently ;  for  to 
kill  an  ox,  or  a  calf,  or  a  lamb,  what  is  it  but  to  do  what  the 
butcher  does  in  his  shambles  ?  God  then  cannot  be  delighted 
with  the  slaughter  of  beasts;  hence  sacrifices,  as  we  have  said, 
are  of  themselves  of  no  account.  Faith  and  love  are  different. 
Hence  the  Lord  says,  in  Jer.  chap,  vii.,  '  Have  I  commanded 
your  fathers,  when  I  brought  them  out  of  Egypt,  to  offer  sa- 
crifices to  me  ?'  no  such  thing ;  '  I  never  commanded  them,' 
he  says,  '  but  only  to  hear  my  voice.'  But  what  does  the 
law  in  great  measure  contain  except  commands  about  cere- 
monies ?  The  answer  to  this  is  easy,  and  that  is,  that  sacri- 
fices never  pleased  God  through  their  own  or  intrinsic  value, 
as  if  they  had  any  worth  in  them.  What  then  ?  Even  this, 
that  faith  and  piety  are  approved,  and  have  ever  been  the , 
legitimate  spiritual  worship  of  God.     This  is  one  thing. 

It  is  further  to  be  noticed,  that  when  the  Prophets  reprove 
hypocrites,  they  regard  what  is  suitable  to  them,  and  do  not 
specifically  explain  the  matters  which  they  handle.  Isaiah 
says  in  one  place,  '  He  who  kills  an  ox  does  the  same  as  if  he 
had  killed  a  dog,'  and  a  dog  was  the  highest  abomination ; 
'  nay,  they  who  offer  sacrifices  do  the  same  as  if  they  had 
killed  men,'  (Isa.  Ixvi.  3.)  What !  to  compare  sacrifices 
with  murders  !  This  seems  very  strange ;  but  the  Prophet 
directed  his  discourse  to  the  ungodly,  who  then  abused  the 
whole  outward  worship  prescribed  by  the  law :  no  wonder 
then  that  he  thus  spake  of  sacrifices.  In  the  same  manner 
also  ought  many  other  passages  to  be  explained,  which  fre- 
quently occur  in  the  Prophets.  We  now  then  see  that  God 
does  not  simply  reject  sacrifices,  as  far  as  he  has  enjoined 
them,  but  only  condemns  the  abuse  of  them.  And  hence 
what  I  have  already  said  ought  to  be  remembered,  that  the 
Prophet  here  sets  external  rites  in  opposition  to  piety  and 
faith,  because  hypocrites  tear  asunder  things  which  are,  as  It 
were,  inseparable :  it  is  an  impious  divorce,  when  any  one 
only  obtrudes  ceremonies  on  God,  while  he  himself  Is  void  of 
piety.  But  as  this  disease  commonly  prevails  among  men, 
the  Prophet  adds  a  contrast  between  this  fictitious  worship 
and  true  religion. 

It  Is  also  worthy  of  being  observed,  that  he  calls  faith  the 


CHAP.  VI.  6,  7.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  233 

knowledge  of  God.  We  then  see  that  faith  is  not  some  cold 
and  empty  imagination,  but  that  it  extends  much  farther ; 
for  it  is  then  that  we  have  faith,  when  the  will  of  God  is 
made  known  to  us,  and  we  embrace  it,  so  that  we  worship 
him  as  our  Father.  Hence  the  knowledge  of  God  is  required 
as  necessary  to  faith.  The  Papists  then  talk  very  childishly 
about  implicit  faith  :  when  a  man  understands  nothing,  and 
has  not  even  the  least  acquaintance  with  God,  they  yet  say 
that  he  is  endued  with  implicit  faith.  This  is  a  romance 
more  than  foolish ;  for  where  there  is  no  knowledge  of  God, 
there  is  no  religion,  piety  is  extinct  and  faith  is  destroyed, 
as  it  appears  evident  from  this  passage. 

God  then  subjoins  a  complaint, — But  they  like  men  have 
transgressed  the  covenant;  there  have  they  dealt  treacherously 
against  me.  Here  God  shows  that  the  Israelites  boasted  in 
vain  of  their  sacrifices  and  of  all  the  pomps  of  their  external 
worship,  for  God  did  not  regard  these  external  things,  but 
only  wished  to  exercise  the  faithful  in  spiritual  worship. 
Then  the  import  of  the  whole  is  this,  "  My  design  was,  when 
I  appointed  the  sacrifices  and  the  whole  legal  worship,  to  lead 
you  so  to  myself,  that  there  might  be  nothing  carnal  or 
earthly  in  your  sacrificing ;  but  ye  have  corrupted  the  whole 
law  ;  you  have  been  perverse  interpreters  ;  for  sacrifices  have 
been  nothing  else  among  you  but  mockery,  as  if  it  were  a 
satisfaction  to  me  to  have  an  ox  or  a  ram  killed.  You  have 
then  transgressed  my  covenant ;  and  it  is  nothing  that  the 
people  say  to  me,  that  they  have  diligently  performed  the 
outward  ceremonies,  for  such  a  worship  is  not  in  the  least 
valued  by  me." 

And  he  proceeds  still  farther  and  says,  There  have  they 
dealt  treacherously  against  me.  He  had  said  before,  *  They 
have  transgressed  the  covenant ;'  as  though  he  said,  "  If 
they  wished  to  keep  my  covenant,  this  was  the  first  thing, — 
to  worship  me  spiritually,  even  in  faith  and  love;  but  they, 
having  despised  true  worship,  laid  hold  only  on  what  was 
frivolous  :  they  have  therefore  violated  my  covenant."  But 
now  he  adds,  that  there  appeared  their  perfidy ;  yea,  that 
they  were  convicted  of  violating  their  faith,  and  shown  to 


234  THE    TWELVE    MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XVII. 

be  covenant-breakers,  by  this, — that  they  abused  the  sacred 
marks  by  which  God  had  sanctioned  his  covenant,  to  cover 
their  own  perfidy.  There  is  then  great  importance  in  the 
adverb  U^,  shim,  as  if  he  had  said,  "  In  that  particular  you 
have  acted  perfidiously  :"  for  the  Prophet  means,  that  when 
hypocrites  especially  raise  their  crests,  they  are  convicted  of 
falsehood  and  perjury.  But  how?  Because  they  set  forth 
their  own  ceremonies,  as  we  see  them  introduced  as  speaking 
thus  in  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  Isaiah,  '  Wherefore  have 
we  fasted,  and  thou  hast  not  regarded?'  In  this  passage 
they  accuse  God  of  too  much  rigour,  because  they  lost  all 
their  toil  when  they  worshipped  so  laboriously,  "  We  have 
then  in  vain  spent  labour  and  so  diligently  worshipped  him." 
God  answers  :  '  Who  hath  required  this  at  your  hands  ?'  So 
also  in  this  place  the  Prophet  says,  and  more  sharply.  There 
have  they  dealt  treacherously  against  me :  that  is,  "  They  think 
that  my  mouth  would  be  stopped  by  this  defence  only,  when 
they  brought  forward  their  sacrifices,  and,  after  their  manner, 
made  a  great  display,  as  if  they  were  the  best  observers  of 
religion ;  but  I  will  show  that  in  this  very  thing  they  are 
covenant-breakers."  How  ?  "  Because  there  is  no  falsehood 
worse  than  to  turn  the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie,  and  to  adul- 
terate his  pure  doctrine."  And  this  is  what  all  hypocrites  do, 
when  they  thus  turn  sacraments  into  gross  abuses  and  false 
worship,  when  they  build  temples,  when  they  imagine  that 
God  is  rightly  worshipped  whenever  an  ox  or  a  ram  is  offered. 
Since  then  hypocrites  so  grossly  mock  God  and  turn  away 
sacrifices  from  Christ,  they  turn  away  from  the  doctrine  of 
repentance  and  faith;  in  a  word,  they  regard  God  only  as  a 
dead  idol.  When  then  they  thus  deprave  the  whole  worship 
of  God  and  adulterate  it,  when  they  so  impiously  corrupt  the 
word  of  God  and  pervert  his  institutions,  are  they  not  cove- 
nant-breakers ?  There  then  they  perfidiously  acted  against  me. 
This  ought  to  be  carefully  observed,  because  it  has  not  been 
noticed  by  interpreters. 

Some  thus  render  the  word  DHX?  adam, — "  As  the  cove- 
nant of  man  have  they  transgressed  it,"  transferring  it  to  the 
genitive  case,  "  And  they  have  transgressed  the  covenant,  as 


CHAP.  VI.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  235 

if  it  was  that  of  man;"  that  is,  as  if  they  had  to  do  with 
a  mortal  man,  so  have  they  despised  and  violated  my  holy 
covenant ;  and  this  exposition  is  not  very  unsuitable,  ex- 
cept that  it  somewhat  changes  the  construction ;  for  in  this 
case  the  Prophet  ought  to  have  said,  "They  have  trans- 
gressed the  covenant  as  that  of  a  man  ;"  but  he  says,  '  They 
as  a  man,'  &c.^  But  this  rendering  is  far  from  being  that  of 
the  words  as  they  are,  '  They  as  men  have  transgressed  the 
covenant.'  I  therefore  interpret  the  words  more  simply,  as 
meaning,  that  they  showed  themselves  to  be  men  in  violating 
the  covenant. 

And  there  is  here  an  implied  contrast  or  comparison  be- 
tween God  and  the  Israelites  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  I  have  in 
good  faith  made  a  covenant  with  them,  when  I  instituted  a 
fixed  worship ;  but  they  have  been  men  towards  me  ;  there 
has  been  in  them  nothing  but  levity  and  inconstancy."  God 
then  shows  that  there  had  not  been  a  mutual  concord  between 
him  and  the  Israelites,  as  men  never  respond  to  God ;  for  he 
sincerely  calls  them  to  himself,  but  they  act  unfaithfully,  or 
when  they  have  given  some  proof  of  obedience,  they  soon 
turn  back  again,  or  despise  and  openly  reject  the  offered  in- 
struction. We  then  see  in  what  sense  the  Prophet  says  that 
they  had  transgressed  the  covenant  of  God  as  men. 

Others  explain  the  words  thus,  "  They  have  transgressed 
as  Adam  the  covenant."  But  the  word,  Adam,  we  know,  is 
taken  indefinitely  for  men.  This  exposition  is  frigid  and 
diluted,  "  They  have  transgressed  as  Adam  the  covenant ;" 
that  is,  they  have  followed  or  imitated  the  example  of  their 
father  Adam,  who  had  immediately  at  the  beginning  trans- 
gressed God's  commandment.  I  do  not  stop  to  refute  this 
comment ;  for  we  see  that  it  is  in  itself  vapid.  Let  us  now 
proceed — 

8.  Gilead  is  a  city  of  8.  Galaad  civitas  operantium  iniquitatem, 
them  that  work  iniqui-     astuta   a  sanguine   {ad  verbum  ita  est,  vel, 

^  The  words  of  the  original  are  these, — n''"i3  "IIDy  D1X3  noni- 
Tlie  transposition  as  proposed  above  is  wholly  impossible ;  no  such  mean- 
ing can  be  made  of  the  words.  The  translation  preferred  by  Calvin  is 
the  only  one  that  can  be  admitted.  The  word  Qix  is  commonly  taken 
for  men  or  mankind  :  then  the  literal  rendering  is, — "  But  they  like  men 
have  transgressed  the  covenant." — Eil 


236  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XVH. 

ty,  and  is  polluted  with    retenta  h  sanguine ;  alii  vertunt,  supplantata  k 
blood.  sanguine ;  alii,  inquinata  a  sanguine.) 


I  shall  first  speak  of  the  subject,  and  then  something  shall 
be  added  in  its  place  of  the  words.  The  Prophet  here  no- 
tices, no  doubt,  something  special  against  Gilead,  which 
through  the  imperfection  of  history  is  now  to  us  obscure. 
But  in  the  first  place,  we  must  remember,  that  Gilead  was 
one  of  the  cities  of  refuge  ;  and  the  Levites  possessed  these 
cities,  which  were  destined  for  fugitives.  If  any  one  killed  a 
man  by  chance,  that  the  relatives  might  not  take  revenge, 
the  Lord  provided  that  he  should  flee  to  one  of  these  cities 
appointed  for  his  safety.  He  was  there  safe  among  the  Le- 
vites :  and  the  Levites  received  him  under  their  protection,  , 
the  matter  being  previously  tried  ;  for  a  legal  hearing  of  the 
cause  must  have  preceded,  as  to  whether  he  who  had  killed  a 
man  was  innocent.  We  must  then  first  remember  that  this 
city  was  occupied  by  the  Levites  and  the  priests ;  and  they 
ought  to  have  been  examples  to  all  others;  for  as  Christ  calls 
his  disciples  the  light  of  the  world,  so  the  Lord  had  chosen 
the  priests  for  this  purpose,  that  they  might  cany  a  torch  be- 
fore all  the  people.  Since  then  the  highest  sanctity  ought  to 
have  shone  forth  in  the  priests,  it  was  quite  monstrous  that 
they  were  like  robbers,  and  that  the  holy  city,  which  was  as 
it  were  the  sanctuary  of  God,  became  a  den  of  thieves. 

It  was  then  for  this  reason  that  the  Prophet  especially  in- 
veighs against  the  city,  Gilead,  and  says,  Gilead  is  a  city  of 
the  loorkers  of  iniquity^  and  is  covered  with  blood.  But  if  Gilead 
was  so  corrupt,  what  must  have  been  the  case  with  the  other 
cities  ?  It  is  then  the  same  as  if  the  Prophet  had  said, 
"  Where  shall  I  begin  ?  If  I  reprove  the  people  indiscrimi- 
nately, the  priests  will  then  think  that  they  are  spared,  be- 
cause they  are  innocent ;  yea,  that  they  are  wholly  without 
blame  :  nay,"  he  says,  "  the  priests  are  the  most  abandoned, 
they  are  even  the  ringleaders  of  robbers.  Since  then  so  great 
corruptions  prevail  among  the  order  of  priests,  in  whom  the 
highest  sanctity  ought  to  have  shone  forth,  how  great  must 
be  the  licentiousness  of  the  people  in  all  kinds  of  wickedness  ? 
And  then  what  must  be  said  of  other  cities,  since  Gilead  is 


CHAP.  VI.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  237 

SO  bad,  which  God  has  consecrated  for  a  peculiar  purpose, 
that  it  might  be  a  sort  of  sanctuary  ?  Since  then  Gilead  is 
a  den  of  robbers,  what  must  be  the  other  cities  ?"  We  now 
comprehend  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

«  Polluted  with  blood,"  Ul^  Mllpy,  okube  medsim :  ^pj^, 
okob,  in  Hebrew,  means  "  to  deceive,"  and  also,  "  to  hold" 
or  "  retain."  ^p^j  okob,  is  the  sole  of  the  foot ;  hence  ^pj/*. 
okob,  signifies  "  to  supplant."  And  there  is  no  doubt  but  that 
"  to  deceive"  is  its  meaning  metaphorically.  I  will  now  come 
to  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet ;  he  says  that  the  city  was 
Dl/b  nilpj^j  ohibe  medam ;  some  say,  "  deceptive  in  blood," 
because  they  did  not  openly  kill  men,  but  by  lying  in  wait 
for  them ;  and  hence  they  elicit  this  sense.  But  I  approve 
more  of  what  they  hold  who  say,  that  the  city  was  "  full  of 
blood ;"  not  that  such  is  the  strict  sense  of  the  Hebrew  word ; 
but  we  may  properly  render  it,  "  occupied  by  blood."  Why 
so  ?  Because  ^p^j  okob,  as  I  have  said,  means  sometimes  to 
hold,  to  stay,  and  to  hinder.  We  may  then  properly  and  fitly 
say,  that  Gilead  was  "  occupied"  or  "  possessed  by  blood." 
But  here  follows  a  clearer  and  a  fuller  explanation  of  this 
sentence — 

9.  And  as  troops  of  robbers  wait  9.  Et  sieut  expectant  latrones  ho- 

for  a  man,  so  the  company  of  priests  minum,  societas  sacerdotnm  (u  e/,  fac- 

murder  in  the  way  by  consent :  for  tio ;)  in  via  trucidaut  consensu,  quia 

they  commit  lewdness.  cogitationem  (aut^  scelus)  perficiunt, 

The  Prophet  pursues  more  at  large  what  he  had  briefly 
touched  ;  for  he  does  not  now  confine  himself  to  the  common 
people,  but  directs  his  accusation  against  the  sacerdotal  order. 
"  See,"  he  says,  "  the  priests  conspire  among  themselves  like 
robbers,  that  they  may  slay  wretched  men,  who  may  meet 
them  in  the  way."  It  is  indeed  certain  that  the  Prophet 
speaks  not  here  of  open  murders  ;  for  it  is  not  credible  that 
the  priests  had  proceeded  into  so  great  a  licentiousness,  that 
Gilead  had  become  a  slaughter-house.  But  the  Prophets,  we 
know,  are  thus  wont  to  speak,  whenever  they  upbi'aid  men 
with  being  sanguinary  and  cruel;  they  compare  them  to  rob- 
bers, and  that  justly.  Hence  he  says.  The  faction  of  the 
■priests  kill  men  in  the  way,  as  if  they  were  robbers  conspiring 
together.     And  then  he  shows  that  the  priests  were  so  void 


238  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XVII. 

of  every  thing  like  the  fear  of  God,  that  they  perpetrated 
every  kind  of  cruelty,  as  if  they  were  wholly  given  to  rob- 
beries.    This  is  the  meaning. 

The  word  T\t2^li^y  shicame,  is  no  doubt  taken  by  the  Pro- 
phet for  "  consent."  What  is  meant  by  DD^?  shicam,  is  pro- 
perly the  "shoulder;"  but  it  is  metaphorically  changed  into 
the  sense  which  I  have  mentioned;  as  it  is  in  the  third  chap- 
ter of  Zephaniah,  '  They  shall  serve  the  Lord  ^nj^  DDS^> 
shicam  ached,  with  one  shoulder;'  that  is,  "  with  one  consent." 
So  also  in  this  place,  "  The  priests  conspire  together  DDDK'j 
5^icam^,  with  consent."  For  they  Avho  think  that  the  name 
of  a  place  is  intended  are  much  mistaken. 

Now  in  the  last  clause  of  the  verse  it  is  made  evident  why 
the  Prophet  had  said  that  the  priests  were  like  robbers,  '  be- 
cause,' he  says,  '  they  do  the  thought,'  or  '  wickedness.' 
The  verb  D^Tj  zsimem,  signifies  "to  think,"  as  it  has  been 
already  said:  hence  H/^T)  za,me,  is  "thought"  in  general; 
but  is  often  taken  by  the  Hebrews  in  a  bad  sense,  for  a  "  bad 
design,"  or  "wicked  trick :"  Thei/  do  then  their  conceived  wick- 
edness. We  hence  learn  that  they  were  not  open  robbers, 
and  publicly  infamous  in  the  sight  of  men,  but  that  they  were 
robbers  before  God,  because  the  city  was  full  of  wicked  de- 
vices, which  were  there  concocted ;  and  since  they  executed 
their  schemes,  it  is  justly  said  of  them  by  the  Prophet,  that 
they  imitated  the  licentiousness  of  robbers.  Let  us  now  go 
on — 

10.  I  have  seen  an  hor-        10.   In  domo  Israel  vidi  flagitlum,  illic 
rible  thing  in  the  house  of    scortatio  Ephraun,  poUutus  est  Israel. 
Israel :  there  is  the  whore- 
dom of  Ephraim,  Israel  is 

defiled. 

11.  Also,  O  Judah,  he  11.  Etiam  Jehudah  posuit  messem  (re/, 
hath  set  an  hai-vest  for  thee,  plantam)  tibi,  dum  ego  reduco  captivitatem 
when  I  returned  the  capti-  populi  mei  {vel,  in  reducendo  me,  ad  ver- 
vity  of  my  people.  bum,  captivitatem  populi  mei.) 

Here  God  declares  that  he  is  the  fit  judge  to  take  cogniz- 
ance of  the  vices  of  Israel ;  and  this  he  does,  that  he  might 
cut  off  the  handle  of  vain  excuses,  which  hypocrites  often  ad- 
duce when  they  are  reproved.  Who  indeed  can  at  this  day 
persuade  the  Papists  that  all  their  worship  is  a  filthy  abomi- 


CHAP.  VI.  10,  11.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  239 

nation,  a  mere  profanation  ?  We  see  how  furiously  they  rise 
up  as  soon  as  any  one  by  a  whisper  dares  to  touch  their  su- 
perstitions. Whence  this  ?  Because  they  wish  their  own 
will  to  stand  for  reason.  Why  ?  Good  intention,  they  say, 
is  the  judge  ;  as  if  this  good  intention  were,  forsooth,  the 
queen,  who  ought  to  rule  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  God 
were  now  excluded  from  all  his  rights.  This  fury  and  this 
madness,  even  at  this  day,  possess  the  Papists ;  and  no 
wonder,  for  Satan  dementates  men,  when  he  leads  them  to 
corrupt  and  degenerated  forms  of  worship,  and  all  hypocrites 
have  been  thus  inebriated  from  the  beginning.  This  then  is 
the  reason  why  the  Prophet  now  says  in  the  person  of  God,  / 
have  seen,  or  do  see,  infamy  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  God 
does  here  by  one  word  lay  prostrate  whatever  men  may  set 
up  for  themselves,  and  shows  that  there  remains  no  more  de- 
fence for  what  he  declares  he  does  not  approve,  however 
much  men  may  value  and  applaud  it.  "  What  I  you  think 
this  to  be  ray  worship ;  and  in  your  imagination,  this  is  most 
holy  religion,  this  is  the  way  of  salvation,  this  is  extraordi- 
nary sanctity  ;  but  I  on  the  contrary  declare,  that  it  is  pro- 
fanation, that  it  is  turpitude,  that  it  is  infamy.  Go  now,"  he 
says,  "  pass  elsewhere  your  fopperies,  with  me  they  are  of  no 
value." 

We  now  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  when  he 
says,  In  the  house  of  Israel  have  I  seen  infamy :  and  by  the 
house  of  Israel  the  Prophet  means  the  whole  kingdom  of  the 
ten  tribes.  How  so?  Because  there  is  the  fornication  of  Eph- 
raim;  that  is,  there  idolatry  reigns,  which  Jeroboam  intro- 
duced, and  which  the  other  kings  of  Israel  followed. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Prophet  spared  neither  the  king,  nor 
his  counsellors,  nor  the  princes  of  the  kingdom ;  and  he  did 
not  spare  before  the  priests.  And  this  magnanimity  becomes 
all  God's  servants,  so  that  they  cast  down  every  height  that 
rises  up  against  the  word  of  the  Lord ;  as  it  was  said  to 
Ezekiel,  '  Chide  mountains  and  reprove  hills,'  (Ezek.  vi.  2  ; 
xxxvi.  1.)  An  example  of  this  the  Prophet  sets  before  us, 
when  he  compares  priests  to  robbers,  and  then  compares 
royal  temples  to  a  brothel.  Jeroboam  had  built  a  temple  in 
which  he  thought  that  God  would  be  in  the  best  manner 


240  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVII. 

worsliipped;'  but  this,  says  the  Prophet,  is  a  brothel,  this 
is  filthy  fornication. 

Then  he  adds,  Juddh  also  hath  set  a  plantation  for  thee. 
That  I  may  finish  the  chapter,  I  will  briefly  notice  this  verse. 
Interpreters  render  it  thus,  "  Also  Judah,  thou  hast  set  for 
thyself  an  harvest :"  but  the  verb,  as  it  is  evident,  is  in  the 
third  person ;  it  cannot  then  be  rendered  otherwise  than, 
'  Also  Judah  hath  set.'  They  who  render  it  in  the  second 
person,  "  Thou  hast  set  for  thyself  an  harvest,"  elicit  this 
sense,  "  Thou  also  Judah,  whom  I  have  chosen  for  myself, 
hast  set  for  thyself  an  harvest,  that  is,  thou  hast  prepared  a 
miserable  harvest  for  thyself;  for  thou  sowest  ungodliness, 
whose  fruit  thou  shalt  hereafter  gather  :"  but  this  is  strained. 
Now  since  the  word  'y^p,  kotsir,  signifies  in  Hebrew  not  only 
"  harvest,"  but  also  "  a  plant,"  it  may  properly  be  so  taken  in 
this  place,  Also  Judah,  while  I  was  returning  the  captivity  of  my 
people,  did  set  for  himself  a  plant ;  that  is,  he  propagated  his  own 
impieties.  God  indeed  addresses  here  the  Israelites,  and  com- 
plains of  Judah  ;  for  the  Jews,  we  know,  were  retained  by  the 
Lord,  when  the  ten  tribes  separated.  This  defection  of  the  ten 
tribes  did  not  cause  religion  to  fail  wholly  among  the  whole 
people.  There  remained  the  pure  worship  of  God,  at  least 
as  to  the  outward  form,  at  Jerusalem.  The  Lord  then  com- 
plains not  here  of  Judah  without  a  cause.  He  had  said  be- 
fore, '  Judah  shall  be  saved  by  his  God ;'  but  now  he  says, 
'  Judah  also  hath  set  for  himself  a  plant ;'  that  is,  "  supersti- 
tions have  been  long  and  widely  enough  springing  up  among 
all  Israel,  they  have  spread  through  all  the  corners  of  the 
land :  and  now  Judah  also,"  he  says,  "  is  planting  his  own 
shoots,  for  he  draws  the  Israelites  to  himself;"  there  is 
therefore  a  new  propagation,  and  this  is  done,  While  I  am 
returning  the  captivity  of  my  people ;  that  is,  "  while  I  am 
seeking  to  restore  the  scattering  of  my  people." 

In  a  word,  God  shows  here  that  there  was  no  part  any 
Ion o-er  whole.  When  one  undertakes  the  cure  of  a  diseased 
body,  and  when  he  sees  at  least  some  parts  whole,  he  has  some 
hope  of  applying  a  remedy ;  but  when  not  even  a  finger  re- 
mains sound,  what  can  the  physician  do  ?  So  also  the  Lord 
says  in  this  place,  "  There  was  at  least  some  hope  of  Judah, 


CHAP.  VII.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  241 

for  some  form  of  my  worship  remained  there,  and  the  purer 
teaching  of  the  law  continued ;  out  now  Judah  propagates 
superstitions  for  Israel;  observing  that  the  whole  land  of 
Israel  is  full  of  superstitions,  he  takes  from  thence  shoots  and 
slips,  and  corrupts  the  remaining  portion  of  the  land,  which 
has  hitherto  remained  sacred  to  me."  We  now  perceive,  as  I 
think,  the  genuine  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

PKAYER, 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  prone  to  every  kind  of 
wickedness,  and  are  so  easily  led  away  to  imitate  it,  when 
there  is  any  excuse  for  going  astray  and  any  opportunity  is 
oflfered, — O  grant,  that  being  strengthened  by  the  help  of  thy 
Spu'it,  we  may  continue  in  purity  of  faith,  and  that  what  we 
have  learnt  concerning  thee,  that  thou  art  a  Spirit,  may  so 
profit  us,  that  we  may  worship  thee  in  spirit  and  with  a  sin- 
cere heart,  and  never  turn  aside  after  the  corruptions  of  the 
'  world,  nor  think  that  we  can  deceive  thee ;  but  may  we  so  de- 

vote our  souls  and  bodies  to  thee,  that  our  life  may  in  every 
part  of  it  testify,  that  we  are  a  pure  and  holy  sacrifice  to  thee 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.    Amen. 


%ttturt  (!?igi)teenti)* 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

1.  When  I  would  have  healed  Is-  1.  Dum  medeor  Israel,  tunc  re- 
rael,  then  the  iniquity  of  Ephraim  tecta  fait  iniquitas  Ephraim  et  ma- 
was  discovered,  and  the  wickedness  litias  Samari^e,  quia  gesserunt  se 
of  Samaria :  for  they  commit  false-  mendaciter  (vel,  fallaciter ;  ad  ver- 
hood ;  and  the  thief  cometh  in,  and  bum,  fecenmt  feUaciam  -J  et  fur 
the  troop  of  robbers  spoUeth  with-  ingi-essus  est,  spoliavit  prsedo  fo- 
out.  ris. 

God,  that  he  might  show  how  corrupt  was  the  state  of  all 
the  people  of  Israel,  compares  himself  here  to  a  physician, 
who,  while  he  wishes  to  try  remedies,  acknowledges  that 
there  are  hid  more  grievous  diseases;  which  is  often  the 
case.  When  a  sick  person  sends  for  a  physician,  his  disease 
will  be  soon  discovered  ;  but  it  may  be  that  he  has  for  many 
years  laboured  under  other  hidden  complaints,  which  do  not 
immediately  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  physician.  He 
VOL.  I.  Q 


242  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVIII. 

may  indeed  think  that  the  symptoms  of  the  disease  are  those 
which  proceed  from  a  source  more  hidden ;  but  on  the  third 
or  fourth  day,  after  having  tried  some  remedies,  he  then 
knows  that  there  is  some  hidden  malady.  God  then  says, 
that  by  applying  remedies  he  had  found  out  how  corrupt 
Israel  was,  While  I  was  healing  my  people,  he  says,  then  I 
knew  what  was  the  iniquity  of  Samaria  and  of  all  Ephraim. 

By  Samaria  he  means  the  principal  part  of  the  kingdom ; 
for  that  city,  as  it  is  well  known,  was  the  capital  and  the 
chief  seat  of  government.  The  Prophet  therefore  says,  that 
the  iniquities  of  Samaria  were  then  discovered  to  be,  not 
common,  but  inveterate  diseases.  This  is  the  meaning.  We 
now  see  what  God  had  in  view ;  for  the  people  might  de- 
ceive themselves,  as  it  often  happens,  and  say,  "  We  are  not  in- 
deed wholly  free  from  every  vice;  but  God  ought  not  however 
to  punish  us  so  severely,  for  what  nation  is  there  under  the  sun 
which  does  not  labour  under  the  common  diseases  ?"  But  the 
Prophet  here  answers,  that  the  people  of  Israel  were  so  cor- 
rupt, that  light  remedies  would  not  do  for  them.  God  then 
here  undertakes  the  office  of  a  physician,  and  says,  "  I  have 
hitherto  wished  to  heal  Israel,  and  this  was  my  design,  when 
I  hewed  them  by  my  Prophets,  and  employed  my  word  as  a 
Bword ;  and  afterwards  when  I  added  chastisements ;  but 
now  I  have  found  that  their  wickedness  is  greater  than  can 
be  corrected  by  such  remedies."  The  iniquity  of  Ephraim 
then  has  been  discovered,  he  says,  and  then  I  perceived  the 
vices  of  Samaria. 

Now  this  place  teaches,  that  though  the  vices  of  men  do 
not  immediately  appear,  yet  they  who  deceive  themselves, 
and  disguise  themselves  to  others,  gain  nothing,  nor  are  they 
made  free  before  God,  and  their  fault  is  not  lessened,  nor 
are  they  absolved  from  guUt ;  for  at  last  their  hidden  vices 
will  come  to  light :  and  this  especially  happens,  when  the 
Lord  performs  the  office  of  a  physician  towards  them ;  for 
we  see  that  men  then  cast  out  their  bitterness,  when  the 
Lord  seeks  to  heal  their  corruptions.  Under  the  papacy, 
even  those  who  are  the  worst  conceal  their  own  vices.  How 
so  ?  Because  God  does  not  try  them ;  there  is  no  teaching 
that  cauterises  or  that  draws  blood.    As  then  the  Papists 


CHAP.  VII.  1.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  243 

rest  quietly  in  their  own  dregs,  their  perverseness  does  not 
appear.  But  in  other  places,  where  God  puts  forth  the  power 
of  his  word,  and  where  he  speaks  effectually  by  his  servants, 
there  men  show  what  great  impiety  was  before  hid  in  thein ; 
for  in  full  rage  they  rise  up  against  God,  and  they  cannot 
bear  any  admonition.  As  soon  then  as  God  begins  to  do  the 
office  of  a  physician,  men  then  discover  their  diseases.  And 
this  is  the  reason  why  the  world  so  much  shun  the  light  of 
heavenly  doctrine  ;  for  he  who  doeth  evil  hates  the  light, 
(John  iii.  20.)  We  may  also  observe  the  same  as  to  chas- 
tisements. When  God  indulges  the  wicked,  they  then  with 
the  mouth  at  least  bless  him ;  but  when  he  begins  to  punish 
their  sins,  they  clamour  against  him  and  are  angry,  and  at 
length  show  how  much  fury  was  before  hid  in  their  hearts. 
We  now  see  what  the  Prophet  here  lays  to  the  charge  of  the 
people  of  Israel.  It  may  also  be  observed  at  this  day  through 
the  whole  world,  that  the  curing  of  diseases  discovers  evils 
which  were  before  unknown. 

But  we  have  said,  and  this  ought  to  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  Ephraim  is  here  expressly  named  by  the  Prophet,  and 
also  the  city,  Samaria,  because  he  wished  to  intimate  that  their 
diseases  were  inveterate,  existing  not  only  in  the  extreme 
members,  but  deeply  fixed  in  the  head  and  bowels,  and  occupy- 
ing the  vital  parts.  It  then  follows,  Because  they  have  acted 
mendaciously,  or,  done  falsely.  The  Prophet  signifies  by  this 
expression,  that  there  was  nothing  sound  in  the  whole  people, 
because  they  were  addicted  to  their  own  depravities.  By  the 
word  '^p^i  shikor,  he  means  every  kind  of  falseness,  that  is, 
that  men  were  thoroughly  imbued  with  depraved  lusts,  and 
that  there  was  now  remaining  in  them  nothing  sound  or 
whole.  This  then  is  the  main  point,  that  the  wickedness  of 
the  people  was  discovered,  and  that  it  could  not  be  cured  by 
moderate  severity,  because  it  had  penetrated  into  the  very 
bowels  and  spread  over  the  whole  body. 

What  follows  interpreters  are  wont  to  regard  as  the  punish- 
ment which  God  had  already  inflicted.  The  Prophet  says, 
The  thief  hath  entered  in,  and  the  robber  hath  plundered  without. 
They  therefore  think  that  this  is  to  be  referred  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  God  had  already  begun  by  punishment  to  re- 


244  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XVIII. 

call  the  people  to  a  sound  mind ;  as  though  he  said,  "  You 
have  been  pillaged  by  thieves  as  well  as  harassed  by  robbers." 
But  I  rather  think  that  the  Prophet  here  pursues  the  same 
subject,  and  shows  that  the  people  were  inwardly  and  out- 
wardly so  infected  with  vices,  that  there  was  now  no  whole 
part;  and  that  by  mentioning  a  part  for  the  whole,  he  here 
designates  every  kind  of  evil,  for  he  specifies  two  kinds  which 
may  stand  for  all  things  in  general.  He  therefore  says, 
The  thief  has  entered  in,  that  is,  stealthily,  and  does  mischief 
insidiously,  or  even  openly  like  robbers,  who  use  open  vio- 
lence ;  which  means,  that  impiety  so  prevailed,  either  by 
frauds  or  by  open  war,  that  they  were  in  every  way  cor- 
rupt. But  when  he  says,  that  the  thief  had  entered  in,  he 
means,  that  many  of  the  people  were  like  foxes,  who  craftily 
do  mischief;  and  when  he  says,  that  the  robber  had  plundered 
abroad,  he  means  that  others,  like  lions,  seized  openly  and 
without  shame  on  what  belonged  to  others,  and  thus  by  open 
force  stripped  and  plundered  the  miserable  and  the  poor. 

We  now  apprehend  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  Having 
said  that  the  Israelites  and  the  citizens  of  Samaria  had  con- 
ducted themselves  so  deceitfully,  he  now,  by  specifying  two 
things,  shows  how  they  had  departed  from  all  uprightness, 
and  prostituted  themselves  to  every  kind  of  wickedness ; 
because  where  violence  reigned,  there  also  frauds  and  all 
kinds  of  evil  reigned.  The  thief  then  had  entered  in,  and 
the  robber  plundered  abroad ;  that  is,  they  secretly  circum- 
vented their  neighbours,  and  also  went  forth  like  robbers 
openly  and  without  any  shame.     It  then  follows — 

2.  And  they  consider  not  in  2.  Et  non  dixenmt  in  corde  suo,  om- 

their  hearts,  that  I  i-emember  nis  malitije  eormn  recordatus  sum  (hoc 

all  their  doings :  now  their  own  est,  quod  recordatus  sim  omnis  malitije 

doings  have  beset  them  about ;  ipsorum  :)    nunc  circumdederunt  ipsos 

they  are  before  my  face.  facinora  eorum,  in  conspectu  meo  sunt. 

The  Prophet  shows  here  that  the  Israelites  had  advanced 
to  the  highest  summit  of  all  wickedness ;  for  they  thought 
that  no  account  was  ever  to  be  given  by  them  to  God. 
Hence  arises  the  contempt  of  God ;  that  is,  when  men  ima- 
gine that  he  is,  as  it  were,  sleeping  in  heaven,  and  that  he 
rests  from  every  work.     They  dare  not  indeed  to  deny  God, 


CHAP.  VII.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  H08EA.  245 

and  yet  they  take  from  him  what  especially  belongs  to  his 
divinity,  for  they  exclude  him  from  the  office  of  being  a 
judge.  Hence  then  it  is  that  men  allow  themselves  so  much 
liberty,  because  they  imagine  that  they  have  made  a  truce 
with  God;  yea,  they  think  that  they  can  do  any  thing  with  im- 
punity, as  if  they  had  made  a  covenant  with  death  and  hell,  as 
Isaiah  says,  (Isa.  xxviii.  15.)  Of  this  sottishness  then  does 
the  Prophet  here  arraign  the  Israelites,  They  have  not  said, 
he  says,  in  their  heart,  that  I  remember  all  their  icickedness; 
that  is,  "  They  so  audaciously  mock  me,  as  though  I  were  not 
the  judge  of  the  world ;  they  consider  not  that  all  things  are 
in  my  sight,  and  that  nothing  is  hid  from  me.  Since  then 
they  suppose  me  to  be  like  a  dead  idol,  they  have  no  fear, 
nay,  they  abandon  themselves  to  every  wickedness." 

He  then  adds.  Now  their  ivicked  deeds  have  surrounded 
them,  for  they  are  in  my  sight;  that  is,  "Though  they  pro- 
mise impunity  to  themselves,  and  flatter  themselves  in  their 
hypocrisy,  all  their  works  are  yet  before  me  ;  and  thus  they 
surround  them ;"  that  is,  "  They  shall  at  last  perceive  that 
they  are  infolded  in  their  own  sins,  and  that  no  escape  will 
be  open  to  them."  We  now  understand  the  object  of  the 
Prophet ;  for  after  having  complained  of  the  stupidity  of  the 
people,  he  now  says  that  they  thus  flattered  themselves  with 
no  advantage,  because  God  is  not  in  the  meantime  blind. 
Though  then  they  think  that  a  veil  is  drawn  over  their  sins, 
they  are  yet  mistaken ;  for  all  their  sins  are  in  my  sight,  and 
this  they  themselves  shall  at  last  find  out  by  experience,  be- 
cause their  sins  will  surround  or  besiege  them. 

Let  us  learn  from  this  place,  that  nothing  ought  to  be 
more  feared  than  that  Satan  should  so  fascinate  us  as  to 
make  us  to  think  that  God  rests  idly  in  heaven.  There  is 
nothing  that  can  stir  us  up  more  to  repentance,  than  when 
we  adorn  God  with  his  own  power,  and  be  persuaded  that 
he  is  the  judge  of  the  world,  and  also  when  we  walk  as  in  his 
sight,  and  know  that  our  sins  cannot  come  to  oblivion,  ex- 
cept when  he  buries  them  by  pardon.  This  then  is  what  the 
Prophet  teaches  in  the  first  part  of  the  verse.  Now  when 
we  imagine  that  we  have  peace  with  God,  and  with  death 
and  hell,  as  Isaiah  says  in  the  place  we  have  quoted,  the 


246  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XVIII. 

Prophet  teaches  that  God  is  yet  awake,  and  that  his  office 
cannot  be  taken  from  him,  for  he  knows  whatever  is  carried 
on  in  this  world  ;  and  that  this  will  at  length  be  made  openly 
known,  when  our  sins  shall  surround  us,  as  it  is  also  said  in 
the  fourth  chapter  of  Genesis,  '  Sin  will  lie  down  at  thy 
door.'  For  we  may  for  a  time  imagine  that  we  have  many 
escapes,  or  at  least  hiding-places ;  but  God  will  at  length 
show  that  all  this  is  in  vain,  for  he  will  come  upon  us,  and 
has  no  need  of  forces,  procured  from  this  or  that  quarter ; 
we  shall  have  enemies  enough  in  our  own  vices,  for  we  shall 
be  besieged  by  them  no  otherwise  than  if  God  were  to  arm 
the  whole  world  against  us.     Let  us  go  on — 

3.  They  make  the  king  glad  with  3.  In  malitia  sua  exhilarant 
their  wickedness,  and  the  princes  with  regem,  et  in  mendaciis  suis[prin- 
their  lies.  cipes. 

The  Prophet  now  arraigns  all  the  citizens  of  Samaria,  and 
in  their  persons  the  whole  people,  because  they  rendered 
obedience  to  the  king  by  flatter}^,  and  to  the  princes  in 
wicked  things,  respecting  which  their  own  conscience  con- 
victed them.  He  had  already  in  the  fifth  chapter  men- 
tioned the  defection  of  the  people  in  this  respect,  that  they 
had  obeyed  the  royal  edict.  It  might  indeed  have  appeared 
a  matter  worthy  of  praise,  that  the  people  had  quietly  em- 
braced what  the  king  commanded.  This  is  the  case  with 
many  at  this  day,  who  bring  forward  a  pretext  of  this  kind. 
Under  the  papacy  they  dare  not  withdraw  themselves  from 
their  impious  superstitions,  and  they  adduce  this  excuse,  that 
they  ought  to  obey  their  princes.  But,  as  I  have  already 
said,  the  Prophet  has  before  condemned  this  sort  of  obe- 
dience, and  now  he  shows  that  the  defection  which  then 
reigned  through  all  Israel,  ought  not  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
king  or  to  few  men,  but  that  it  was  a  common  evil,  wliich 
involved  all  in  one  and  the  same  guilt,  without  exception. 
How  so  ?  £i/  their  wickedness,  he  says,  thei/  have  exhilerated 
the  king,  and  by  their  lies  the  princes;  that  is.  If  they  wish  to 
cast  the  blame  on  their  governors,  it  will  be  done  in  vain ; 
for  whence  came  then  such  a  promptitude?  As  soon  as 
Jeroboam  formed  the  calves,  as  soon  as  he  built  temples, 


CHAP.  VII.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  247 

religion  instantly  collapsed,  and  whatever  was  before  pure, 
degenerated ;  how  was  the  change  so  sudden  ?  Even  be- 
cause the  people  had  inwardly  concocted  their  wickedness, 
which,  when  an  occasion  was  offered,  showed  itself;  for 
hypocrisy  did  lie  hid  in  all,  and  was  then  discovered.  We 
now  perceive  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view. 

And  this  place  ought  to  be  carefully  noticed :  for  it  often 
happens  that  some  vice  creeps  in,  which  proceeds  from  one 
man  or  from  a  few ;  but  when  aU  readily  embrace  what  a  few 
introduce,  it  is  quite  evident  that  they  have  no  living  root  of 
piety  or  of  the  fear  of  God.  They  then  who  are  so  prone  to 
adopt  vices  were  before  hypocrites ;  and  we  daily  find  this  to 
be  the  case.  When  pious  men  have  the  government  of  a  city, 
and  act  prudently,  then  the  whole  people  wiU  give  some  hope 
that  they  will  fear  the  Lord  ;  and  when  any  king,  influenced 
by  a  desire  of  advancing  the  glory  of  God,  endeavours  to  pre- 
serve all  his  subjects  in  the  pure  worship  of  God,  then  the 
same  feeling  of  piety  will  be  seen  in  all :  but  when  an  ungodly 
king  succeeds  him,  the  greater  part  will  immediately  fall  back 
again ;  and  when  a  magistrate  neglects  his  duty,  the  greater 
portion  of  the  people  will  break  out  into  open  impiety.  I 
wish  there  were  no  proofs  of  these  things ;  but  throughout 
the  world  the  Lord  has  designed  that  there  should  exist  ex- 
amples of  them. 

This  purpose  of  God  ought  therefore  to  be  noticed ;  for  he 
accuses  the  people  of  having  made  themselves  too  obsequious 
and  pliant.  When  king  Jeroboam  set  up  vicious  worship,  the 
people  immediately  offered  themselves  as  ready  to  obey : 
hence  impiety  became  quite  open.  They  then  delighted  the 
king  by  thei?'  toickedness,  and  the  princes  hy  their  lies;  as  though 
he  said,  "  They  cannot  transfer  the  blame  to  the  king  and 
princes.  Why  ?  Because  they  delighted  them  by  their  wick- 
edness ;  that  is,  they  flattered  the  king  by  their  wickedness, 
and  delighted  the  princes  by  their  lies."     It  follows — 

4.  They  are  all  adulterers,  as  an  4.  Omues  adulter],  sicut  foruax  in- 
oven  heated  by  the  baker,  who  ceas-  ceusa  a  pistore,  cessabit  ab  exci- 
eth  from  raising  after  he  hath  tando  post  conspersionem  (vc/,  mix- 
kneaded  the  dough,  until  It  be  lea-  tionem)  farinae,  donee  fermente- 
vened.  tur. 


248  THE  TWELVE  MmOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XVIII. 

The  Prophet  pursues  the  same  subject  in  this  verse :  he 
says  that  they  were  all  adulterers.   This  similitude  has  already 
been  often  explained.     He  speaks  not  here  of  common  forni- 
cation, but  calls  them  adulterers,  because  they  had  violated 
their  faith  pledged  to  God,  because  they  gave  themselves  up 
to  filthy  superstitions,  and  also,  because  they  had  wholly  cor- 
rupted themselves ;  for  faith  and  sincerity  of  heart  constitute 
spiritual  chastity  before  God.    When  men  become  corrupt  in 
their  whole  life,  and  degenerate  from  the  pure  worship  of 
God,  they  are  justly  deemed  adulterers.     In  this  sense  does 
the  Prophet  now  say,  that  they  were  all  adulterers,  and  thus 
he  confirms  what  I  have  said  before,  that  as  to  the  corrup- 
tions which  then  prevailed,  it  was  not  few  men  who  had  been 
drawn  into  them,  but  that  the  whole  people  were  implicated 
in  guilt ;  for  they  were  all  adulterers.     To  say  that  they  had 
been  deceived  by  the  king,  that  they  had  been  forced  by 
authority,  that  they  had  been  compelled  by  the  tyranny  of 
their  princes,  would  have  been  vain  and  frivolous,  for  all  of 
them  were  adulterers. 

He  afterwards  compares  them  to  a  furnace  or  an  oven, 
They  are,  he  says,  as  a  furnace  or  an  oven,  heated  by  the 
haker,  who  ceases  from  stirring  up  until  the  meal  kneaded  is  well 
fermented.  The  Prophet  by  this  similitude  shows  more  clearly, 
that  the  people  were  not  corrupted  by  some  outward  impulse, 
but  by  their  own  inclination  and  propensity  of  mind  ;  yea, 
by  a  mad  and  furious  desire  of  acting  wickedly.  He  had 
previously  said  that  they  had  wilfully  sinned,  when  they 
readily  embraced  the  edict  of  the  king ;  but  now  he  goes 
still  farther  and  says  that  they  had  been  set  on  fire  by  an  in- 
ward sinful  instinct,  and  were  like  a  hot  oven.  Then  he 
adds  that  this  had  not  been  a  sudden  impulse,  as  it  some- 
times happens ;  but  that  it  had  so  continued,  that  they  were 
confirmed  in  their  wickedness.  When  he  says,  that  adul- 
terers are  like  a  burning  oven,  he  means,  that  their  defection 
had  not  only  been  voluntary,  so  that  the  blame  was  in  them- 
selves ;  but  that  they  had  also  ardently  seized  on  the  occa- 
sion of  sinning,  and  had  been  heated,  as  an  hot  oven.  The 
ungodly  often  restrain  their  desires,  and  suppress  them  when 
no  occasion  is  presented,  but  give  vent  to  them  when  they 


CHAP.  VII.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  249 

have  the  opportunity  of  sinning  with  impunity.  So  God 
now  declares  that  the  people  of  Israel  had  not  only  been 
prone  to  defection,  but  had  also  greedily  desired  it,  so  that 
th«ir  madness  was  like  a  burning  flame.^ 

But  a  third  thing  follows,  and  that  is,  that  this  fire  had  not 
been  suddenly  lighted  up,  but  had  been  for  a  long  time  ga- 
thering strength.  Hence  he  says,  As  an  oven  heated  by  the 
bakery  who  ceases,  he  says,  from  stirring  up  after  the  shaking  or 
mixing  of  the  meal,  until  it  be  fermented,  b'l/j  lush,  means  "to 
besprinkle,"  empaster  is  what  they  say  here.  Some  foolishly 
hold  that  they  were  like  those  who  sleep  and  afterwards 
awake  early  in  the  morning.  But  the  Prophet  had  a  dif- 
ferent thing  in  view,  and  that  was,  that  by  length  of  time 
their  wickedness  had  increased,  and,  as  it  were,  by  degrees. 
He  means,  in  short,  that  they  had  not  been  under  a  sudden 
impulse,  like  men  who  often  break  out  through  want  of 
thought,  and  immediately  repent;  and  their  lust,  which 
had  been  in  a  moment  set  on  fire,  in  a  short  time  abates. 
The  Prophet  says,  that  the  frenzy  of  the  people  of  Israel  had 
been  different ;  for  they  had  been  like  an  oven,  which  the 
baker,  after  having  lighted  up,  allows  to  grow  quite  hot  even 
to  the  highest  degree;  for  he  waits  while  the  dough  is 
becoming  well  fermented.  It  was  not  then  the  intemperance 
and  lust  of  a  few  days  ;  but  they  made  their  hearts  quite  hot, 
as  when  a  baker  heats  his  oven,  and  puts  in  a  great  quantity 
of  fuel,  that  after  a  time  it  may  become  heated,  while  the 
dough  is  fermenting. 

The  word  'T'^/b,  meoir,  "  from  stirring  up,"  is  to  be  taken 
for  ^^yn,?3j  meeoir ;  for  what  some  say,  that  the  baker  rested 
from  the  city,  that  is,  to  manage  public  afiairs,  is  frigid. 
Others  render  it  thus,  "  He  rests  from  the  city,"  so  as  not  to 
be  a  citizen, — to  what  purpose  ?  There  is  then  no  doubt 
but  that  the  Prophet  here  pursues  his  own  similitude,  which 
he  will  again  shortly  repeat.     It  follows — 

5.  In  the  day  of  our  king  the  prin-        6.  Dies  regis  nostri,  fecerunt 

ces  have  made  him  sick  with  bottles  princijies  jegi'otare  utre  vini ;  ex. 

of  wine ;  he  stretched  out  his  hands  tendit  manum  suam  ad  illuso- 

with  scorners.  res. 

^  "  The  sensuality  here,  is  that  of  which  sensuality  is  the  constant  scrip- 
tural type,  the  absurd  and  wicked  passion  for  idolatry  "    Bp.  Horsley, 


250  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XVIII. 

The  Prophet  here  reproves  especially  the  king  and  his 
courtiers.  He  had  spoken  of  the  whole  people,  and  showed 
that  the  filth  of  evils  was  every  where  diffused  :  but  he  now 
relates  how  strangely  the  king  and  his  courtiers  ruled. 
Hence  he  says,  The  day  of  our  king  !  the  princes  have  made 
him  sick;  that  is,  so  great  has  been  the  intemperance  of  excess, 
that  the  king  himself  became  sick  through  too  much  drinking, 
and  extended  his  hand  to  mockers.  In  short,  the  Prophet 
means,  that  the  members  of  government  in  the  kingdom  of 
Israel  had  become  so  corrupt,  that  in  the  hall  or  palace  of  the 
king  there  was  no  regard  for  decency,  and  no  shame. 

By  "  the  day  of  the  king,"  some  understand  his  birth-day ; 
and  we  know  that  it  has  been  a  very  old  custom  even  for  the 
common  people  to  celebrate  their  birth-day.  Others  refer  it 
to  the  day  of  coronation,  which  is  more  probable.  Some  take 
it  for  the  very  beginning  of  his  reign,  which  seems  strained. 
The  day  of  our  king  !  that  is,  "  Our  king  is  now  seated  on 
his  throne,  he  has  now  undertaken  the  government  of  the 
kingdom;  let  us  then  feast  plentifully,  and  glut  ourselves 
with  eating  and  drinking."  This  sense  suits  well ;  but  I  do 
not  know^  whether  it  can  bear  the  name  of  day  ;  he  calls  it 
the  day  of  the  king.  I  would  then  rather  adopt  their  opinion, 
who  explain  it  as  the  annual  day  of  coronation  :  The  day  then 
of  our  king.  There  are  yet  interpreters  who  render  the  sen- 
tence thus,  *'In  the  day  the  princes  have  made  the  king  sick;" 
but  I  make  this  separation  in  it,  The  day  of  the  king  !  the 
princes  have  made  him  sick. 

It  was  not  indeed  sinful  or  blameable  to  celebrate  yearly 
the  memory  of  the  coronation ;  but  then  the  king  ought  to 
have  stirred  up  himself  and  others  to  give  thanks  to  God ; 
the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  in  preserving  the  kingdom  safe, 
ought  to  have  been  acknowledged  at  the  end  of  the  year; 
the  king  ought  also  to  have  asked  of  God  the  spirit  of  wis- 
dom and  strength  for  the  future,  that  he  might  discharge 
rio-htly  his  office.  But  the  Prophet  shows  here  that  there  was 
nothing  then  in  a  sound  state;  for  they  had  turned  into  gross 
abuse  what  was  in  itself,  as  I  have  said,  useful.  The  day  then 
of  our  king — how  is  it  spent  ?  Does  the  king  humbly  sup- 
plicate pardon  before  God,  if  he  has  done  any  thing  unworthy 


CHAP.  VII.  6.  COMMENTAHIES  ON  HOSEA.  251 

of  his  station,  if  in  any  thing  he  has  offended  ?  Does  he  give 
thanks  that  God  has  hitherto  sustained  him  by  his  support  ? 
Does  he  prepare  himself  for  the  future  discharge  of  his  duty  ? 
No  such  thing ;  but  the  princes  indulge  excess,  and  stimulate 
their  king ;  yea,  they  so  overcome  him  with  immoderate 
drinking,  that  they  make  him  sick.  This  then,  he  says,  is 
their  way  of  proceeding ;  nothing  royal  now  appears  in  the 
king's  palace,  or  even  worthy  of  men ;  for  they  abandon 
themselves  like  beasts  to  drunkenness,  and  so  great  intem- 
perance prevails  among  them,  that  they  ruin  the  king  himself 
with  a  bottle  of  wine. 

Some  render  this, "  a  flagon ;"  nJbH,  chemet,  means  properly 
a  bottle ;  and  we  know  that  wine  was  then  preserved  in 
bottles,  as  the  Orientals  do  to  this  day.  Then  with  a  bottle  of 
wine,  with  immoderate  drinking,  they  made  the  king  sick. 

He  then  says,  that  the  king  stretched  forth  his  hand  to 
scorners ;  that  is,  forgetting  himself,  he  retained  no  gravity, 
but  became  like  a  buffoon,  and  indecently  mixed  with  worth- 
less men.  For  the  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  calls  those  "scorners," 
who,  having  cast  away  all  shame,  indulge  in  buffoonery  and 
wantonness.  He  therefore  says,  that  the  king  held  forth  his 
hand  to  scorners,  as  a  proof  of  friendship.  As  he  was  then 
the  companion  of  buffoons  and  worthless  men,  he  had  cast 
away  from  him  everything  royal  which  he  ought  to  have  had. 
This  is  the  meaning.  The  Prophet,  therefore,  deplores  this 
corruption,  that  there  was  no  longer  any  dignity  or  decency 
in  the  king  and  his  princes,  being  wholly  given,  as  they  were, 
to  excess  and  drunkenness ;  yea,  they  turned  sacred  days 
into  this  abuse,  when  the  king  ought  to  have  conducted  him- 
self in  a  manner  worthy  of  the  rank  of  the  highest  honour  : 
he  prostituted  himself  to  every  kind  of  wantonness,  and  his 
princes  were  his  leaders  and  encouragers.'  This  so  great  a 
depravity  the  Prophet  now  deplores.     It  follows — 

6.  For  they  heave  made  6.  Quoniam  appropinqiiare  fecerimt  {ad 

readytheu'heartlikeanoven,  verbum ;  hoc  est,  aptarunt)  instar  foraacis 

whiles  they  lie  in  wait :  their  cor  suuin  in  fraudibus  suis  (re/,  insidiis ; )  tota 

baker  sleepeth  all  the  night ;  nocte  dorraiet  pistor  ipsorura  ;  mane  foruax 

1  Quasi  faces,  vel  stimuli ; — "  as  it  were,  firebrands,  or  goads." 


252  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XVIII. 

in  the  morning  It  burneth  as      ardebit  quasi  ignis  flammse  {hoc  est,  ignis 
a  flaming  fire.  projciens  flammam.) 

Here  the  Prophet  says,  that  the  Israelites  did  secretly,  and 
by  hidden  means,  prepare  their  hearts  for  deeds  of  evil ;  and 
he  takes  up  nearly  the  same  similitude  as  he  did  a  little  while 
before,  though  for  a  different  purpose ;  for  he  says  that  they 
had  prepared  their  hearts  secretly,  as  the  baker  puts  fire  in 
the  night  in  his  oven,  and  then  rests,  and  in  the  morning  the 
oven  is  well  heated,  having  attained  heat  sufficient  to  bake 
the  bread.  The  oven  becomes  hot  in  the  morning,  though 
the  baker  sleeps.  How  so  ?  Because  an  abundance  of  fuel 
had  been  put  together,  so  that  it  is  heated  by  the  morning. 
Hence  nocturnal  rest  does  not  prevent  the  fire  from  making 
hot  the  oven,  when  it  has  a  sufficient  quantity  of  fuel,  when 
the  baker  has  so  filled  his  oven,  that  the  fire  cannot  be  ex- 
tinguished, nor  be  gradually  smothered.  When  the  baker 
has  thus  set  in  order  an  heap  of  wood,  he  then  securely  rests, 
for  the  fire  can  continue  until  the  morning.  We  now  then 
see  the  design  of  the  Prophet. 

Thei/  have  prepared,  he  says,  their  hearts  insidiously  ;  that 
is,  though  they  have  not  at  first  made  evident  their  wicked- 
ness, they  have  yet  previously  prepared  their  hearts,  as  the 
oven  is  lighted  up,  or  as  the  furnace  is  heated  before  the 
bread  is  prepared  ;  nay,  there  is  no  need  of  much  bustle, — 
there  is  no  need  of  much  noise  when  the  baker  lights  up  his 
oven,  for  he  prepares  the  wood,  and  then  he  goes  to  rest ;  and, 
in  the  meantime,  while  he  sleeps  all  the  night,  the  fire  is 
burning.  So  also  they,  though  all  do  not  perceive  their 
wickedness,  they  have  yet,  in  the  meantime,  heated  their 
hearts  like  an  oven ;  that  is,  evil  deeds  have,  by  degrees,  and 
during  a  long  period  of  time,  been  conceived  by  them,  before 
they  came  forth  into  open  acts  of  wickedness. 

We  hence  see  that  the  similitude  of  an  oven  is  set  forth 
here  by  the  Prophet  in  a  sense  different  fi-om  what  it  had  been 
before ;  and  this  ought  to  be  noticed,  because  interpreters 
heedlessly  pass  over  this  wholly,  as  if  the  Prophet  meant  in 
both  places  the  same  thing.  But  the  meaning,  as  it  is  evi- 
dent, is  far  different.  For  he  intended  only,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, to  reprove  the  mad  lust  with  which  they  were  burn- 


CHAP.  VII.  7.         COMMENTARIES   ON  HOSEA.  253 

ing ;  but  lie  now  speaks  of  their  plots  and  concealed  frauds  ; 
that  Is,  that  the  Israelites  before  openly  showed  themselves 
to  be  ungodly  and  wicked,  but  that  they  were  now  wicked 
before  God.  How  so  ?  Because  they  were  now  like  an 
oven  lighted  up  in  the  night ;  for  as  the  baker,  having  closed 
the  door  of  his  house,  puts  in  fire,  while  none  perceive  that 
the  furnace  or  the  oven  is  being  heated ;  so  also  the  people 
fed  and  nourished  their  wickedness  before  God ;  and  after- 
wards, in  course  of  time,  it  broke  forth  openly,  whenever  an 
opportunity  was  offered. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  hast  once  shone  upon  us 
by  thy  gospel, — O  grant,  that  we  may  always  be  guided  by  this 
light,  and  so  guided,  that  all  our  lusts  may  be  restrained  ;  and 
may  the  power  of  thy  Spirit  extinguish  in  us  every  sinful  fer- 
vour, that  we  may  not  grow  hot  with  our  own  perverse  desii'es, 
but  that  all  these  being  subdued,  we  may  gather  new  fervom* 
daily,  that  we  may  breathe  after  thee  more  and  more :  nor  let  the 
coldness  of  our  flesh  ever  take  possession  of  us,  but  may  we 
continually  advance  in  the  way  of  piety,  until  at  length  we 
come  to  that  blessed  rest,  to  which  thou  invitest  us,  and  which 
has  been  obtained  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy  only-begotten  Son, 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


ILecture  Ninet^enti), 


7.  They  are  all  hot  as  an  oven,  and        7.  Omnes  calent  tanquam  cli- 

have  devoured  their  judges ;  all  then-  banus,  comederunt  judices  suos : 

kings  are  fallen  :  there  is  none  among  omnes  reges  eorum  ceciderunt ; 

them  that  caUeth  unto  me.  nemo  in  illis  clamat  ad  me. 

The  Prophet  repeats  what  he  had  said  before,  that  the 
Israelites  were  carried  away  by  a  mad  zeal  into  their  own 
superstitions  and  wicked  practices,  and  could  not  be  allayed 
or  quieted  by  any  remedies ;  and  he  shows  at  the  same  time 
that  this  malady  or  intemperance  raged  in  the  whole  people, 
lest  the  vulgar  should  accuse  a  few  men,  as  if  they  were  the 
authors  of  all  the  wickedness.  He  gives  proof  of  their  frenzy, 
because  they  could  not  have  been  hitherto  amended  by  any 


254  THE    TWELVE    MINOR   PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIX. 

con'ections.  They  have  eaten,  he  says,  their  oicn  judges;  their 
kings  have  fallen ;  and  iii  the  meantime  not  one  of  them  cries  to 
me.  What  the  Prophet  says  here  I  refer  to  good  kings,  or 
to  those  who  were  able  to  uphold  an  ordinary  government 
among  the  people.'  He  says  that  judges  as  well  as  kings  had 
fallen ;  by  which  words  he  means,  that  the  Israelites  had 
been  deprived  of  good  and  wise  governors ;  and  this  was  a 
sad  and  miserable  disorder  to  the  people ;  it  was  the  same 
as  if  the  head  were  taken  from  the  body.  He  says,  in  short, 
that  the  body  was  mangled  and  mutilated,  because  the  Lord 
had  taken  away  the  kings  and  judges.  We  indeed  know 
that  kings  in  continual  succession  reigned  among  the  Israel- 
ites ;  but  we  must  consider  of  what  kings  the  Prophet  here 
speaks. 

But  let  us  now  notice  what  he  says  :  Judges  have  been  de- 
voured. Some  hold  that  the  people  through  their  wanton- 
ness had  risen  up  against  their  judges,  and,  as  if  freed  from 
all  laws,  had  by  main  force  upset  all  order ;  but  this  seems 
to  me  strained.  The  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  means  that  the 
judges  had  been  devoured,  because  the  people  had  through 
their  own  fault  made,  as  it  were,  entirely  void  the  favour  of 
God,  as  it  often  happens  daily.  God  indeed  so  begins  to  do 
good,  that  he  intends  to  continue  his  benefits  to  us  to  the 
end  ;  but  we  devour  his  benefits ;  for  we  dry  up,  as  it  were, 
the  fountain  of  his  goodness,  which  would  otherwise  be  ex- 
haustless  and  perpetually  flow  to  us.  As  then  the  goodness 
of  God,  which  is  otherwise  inexhaustible,  is  in  a  manner 
dried  up  to  us,  when  we  allow  it  not  to  approach  us ;  it  is  in 
this  sense  that  the  Prophet  now  complains  that  judges  had 
been  devoured  by  the  Israelites ;  for  through  their  impiety 
they  had  been  deprived  of  this  singular  kindness  of  God ; 
and  they  had  consumed  it,  as  rust  or  some  other  fault  in 
brass  destroys  good  fruit.  We  now  comprehend  the  mean- 
ing of  this  verse. 

God  first  shows  that  the  Israelites  were  so  ardent,  that 
their  frenzy  could  not  be  corrected  or  quieted.  How  so  ? 
"  I  have  tried,"  he  says,  ''  whether  their  disease  was  heal- 
able ;  for  I  have  taken  aAvay  their  kings  and  governors, 
which  was  no  obscm*e  sign  of  my  displeasiu'e  :   but  I  have 


CHAP.  VII.  8.  COMMENTAKIES   ON   HOSEA.  255 

effected  nothing."  Then  it  follows,  >S^5  DHl  «"lp  \'i^,  am 
kora  beeni  all,  There  is  no  one,  he  says,  among  them  who 
cries  to  me.  He  had  said  that  all  were  burning  with  the  lust 
of  committing  sin  ;  now,  accusing  their  stupidity,  he  excepts 
none.  We  hence  see  that  the  whole  people  were  so  seized 
with  frenzy,  that  when  chastised  by  God's  hand,  they  did 
not  yet  cry  to  him.  It  is  indeed  certain  that  the  Israelites 
did  cry,  but  without  repentance ;  and  it  is  usual  with  hypo- 
crites to  howl  when  God  punishes  them ;  but  they  yet  direct 
not  to  him  their  supplications  and  their  groans,  for  their 
heart  is  locked  up  by  obstinacy.  Thus  then  ought  this 
clause  to  be  expounded,  that  they  repented  not,  nor  fled  to 
God  for  mercy.     Then  it  follows — 


8.  Ephraim,  be  hath  mixed  himself  8.  Ephraim  inter  populos  ipse 
among  the  people  ;  Ephraim  is  a  cake  aiiscuitse :  Ephraim  fuit  panis 
not  turned.'  subciniricius,  qui  versus  non  est. 

God  now  complains,  that  Ephraim,  whom  he  had  chosen 
to  be  a  peculiar  possession  to  himself,  differed  nothing  from 
other  nations.  The  children  of  Abraham,  we  know,  had  been 
adopted  by  God  for  this  end,  that  they  might  not  be  like 
the  heathens  :  for  the  calling  of  God  brings  holiness  with  it. 
And  we  ought  to  remember  that  memorable  sentence,  which 
often  occurs,  '  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy.'  The  Israelites 
then  ought  to  have  been  mindfiil  of  their  calling,  and  to  re- 
solve to  worship  God  purely,  and  not  to  pollute  themselves 
with  the  defilements  and  filth  of  the  Gentiles.  But  God  says 
here  that  Ephraim  differed  now  nothing  from  the  uncircum- 
cised  nations.  He  mingles  himself^  he  says,  with  the  peoples. 
And  there  is  an  emphasis  to  be  noticed  in  the  pronoun  de- 
monstrative, Xirij  Gva,  Ephraim  himself,  he  says  ;  for  surely 
this  was  unworthy  and  by  no  means  to  be  endured,  that 
Ephraim,  on  whom  God  had  engraven  the  mark  of  his 
election,  was  now  entangled  in  the  superstitions  of  the  Gen- 

*  "  Ephraim !  he  hath  mixed  himself  among  the  peoples  !  Ephraim  is 
a  cake  not  turned!" — Bp.  Horsley. 

^  The  Bishop  adds  this  note, — "  The  word  Q^joy,  in  the  plural,  always 
signifies  the  various  nations  of  the  earth,  the  unenlightened  nations,  in 
opposition  to  God's  peculiar  people,  the  Israelites." 


256  THE   TWELVE   MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XIX. 

tiles.  We  now  then  see  the  drift  of  the  Prophet's  words, 
He,  even  Ephraim,  mingles  himself  with  the  nations.  If  the 
condition  of  Israel  and  of  all  the  nations  had  been  alike  and 
equal,  the  Prophet  would  not  have  thus  spoken ;  but  as  God 
had  designed  Ephraim  to  be  holy  to  himseltj  the  Prophet 
here  amplifies  his  sin,  when  he  says  that  even  Ephraim  had 
mingled  himself  with  the  nations. 

He  then  adds,  Ephraim  is  like  bread  baked  under  the  ashes j 
which  is  not  turned.  This  metaphor  most  fitly  suits  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Prophet  and  the  circumstances  of  this  passage, 
provided  it  be  rightly  understood.  And  I  think  the  Pro- 
phet simply  meant  this,  that  Ephraim  w^as  in  nothing  fixed, 
but  was  inconstant  and  changeable ;  as,  when  we  in  vulgar 
language  notify  their  changeableness  who  are  not  consistent 
with  themselves,  and  in  whom  there  is  no  sincerity,  we  say, 
II  rHest  ne  chair  ne  poisson,  (It  is  neither  flesh  nor  fish.)  So 
also  in  this  place  the  Prophet  says,  that  Ephraim  was  like  a 
cake  burnt  on  one  side,  and  was  on  the  other  doughy,  or  a 
crude  and  unbaked  lump  of  paste.  For  Ephraim,  we  know, 
boasted  themselves  to  be  a  people  sacred  to  God  ;  and  since 
circumcision  distinguished  that  people  from  other  nations, 
there  seemed  to  be  some  difierence ;  but  in  the  meantime 
the  worship  of  God  was  corrupted ;  aU  the  sacrifices  were 
adulterated,  as  we  have  already  seen,  and  the  whole  of  their 
religion  was  a  confused  mixture ;  yea,  a  chaos  composed  of 
Gentile  superstitions  and  of  something  that  resembled  true 
and  legitimate  worship.  When,  therefore,  the  Israelites  were 
thus  perfidiously  mocking  God,  they  had  nothing  fixed: 
hence  the  Prophet  compares  them  to  a  cake,  which,  being 
placed  on  the  hearth,  is  not  turned;  for  on  one  side  it 
must  be  burnt,  whUe  on  the  other  it  remains  unbaked.' 

•  Bishop  Horsley  gives  the  same  exposition, — "  One  thing  on  one  side, 
another  on  the  other ;  burnt  to  a  coal  at  bottom,  raw  dough  at  the  top. 
An  apt  image  of  a  character  that  is  all  inconsistencies.  Such  were  the 
ten  tribes  of  the  Prophet's  day  ;  worshippers  of  Jehovah  in  profession, 
but  adopting  all  the  idolatries  of  the  neighbouring  nations,  in  addition  to 
their  own  semi-idolatry  of  the  calves." 

"Baked  on  one  side  and  raw  on  the  other,  he  is  neither  through 
hot  nor  through  cold,  but  partly  a  Jew  and  partly  a  Gentile." — Geneva 
Bible. 


CHAP.  VII.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  257 

The  Prophet  here  anticipates  what  the  Israelites  might 
object ;  for  hypocrites,  we  know,  never  want  pretences.  The 
Israelites  might  then  bring  forward  this  defence,  "Thou 
sayest  that  we  are  now  entangled  in  the  pollutions  of  the 
heathens ;  but  the  heathens  have  no  circumcision ;  among 
them  the  God  of  Israel  is  despised,  there  is  no  altar  on  which 
the  people  can  sacrifice  to  the  true  God  ;  we,  on  the  contrary, 
are  the  children  of  Abraham,  we  have  the  God  who  stretched 
forth  his  hand  to  deliver  us  from  Egypt,  and  the  priesthood 
ever  abides  with  us."  As  then  the  Israelites  might  have 
introduced  these  pretences  for  their  superstitions,  the  Prophet 
says,  by  anticipation,  that  they  were  like  bread  baked  under 
the  ashes,  which,  being  thrown  on  the  hearth,  is  not  turned, 
so  that  the  baking  might  be  equal ;  for  then  on  the  one  side 
it  would  receive  heat,  and  on  the  other  there  would  be  no 
proportionate  temperature.  "  Ye  are,"  he  says,  "  on  one  side 
burnt,  but  on  the  other  crude ;  so  that  with  you  there  is 
nothing  but  mere  perfidiousness."  We  now  understand  what 
the  Prophet  means. 

But  this  similitude  might  also  be  referred  to  their  punish- 
ment ;  for  God  had  shown  before  in  many  places,  that  the 
Israelites  were  so  perverse,  that  they  could  not  be  subdued 
nor  brought  to  a  sound  mind  by  any  distresses :  and  he  again 
repeats  this  complaint.  The  meaning  of  the  words  may  then 
be  this.  That  Ephraim  was  like  a  cake,  which  was  not  turned 
on  the  hearth,  because  he  had  been  sharply  and  severely 
chastised,  but  without  any  benefit ;  being  like  reprobates, 
who,  though  the  Lord  may  bruise  them,  yet  continue  obsti- 
nate in  their  hardness.  They  are  then  on  one  side  burnt, 
because  they  are  nearly  wasted  away  under  their  evils  ;  but 
on  the  other  side  they  are  wholly  unbaked,  because  the  Lord 
had  not  softened  their  perverseness.  But  what  I  have  adduced 
in  the  first  place  is  more  suitable  to  the  context. 

We  now  then  understand  what  the  Prophet  says  :  in  the 
first  clause  God  accuses  Ephraim,  because  he  had  made  him- 
self profane  by  receiving  the  rites  and  superstitions  of  hea- 
thens, so  that  there  was,  as  I  have  said  before,  a  confused 
mixture.  In  the  second  place,  he  answers  the  Israelites,  in 
case  they  pleaded  in  their  favour  the  name  of  God,  for  it  was 
VOL.  I.  R 


258  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIX. 

usual  for  them  to  make  false  pretences.  He  therefore  says, 
that  they  were  in  some  things  different  from  the  uncircum- 
cised  nations,  but  that  this  difference  was  nothing  before  God, 
for  they  were  like  bread  baked  under  the  ashes,  which  is  nei- 
ther baked  nor  unbaked  on  either  side  ;  for  on  one  side  it  is 
burnt,  and  on  the  other  it  remains  unbaked.'  It  now 
follows — 

9.  Strangers  have   devoured  his        9.  Comedenmt  extranei    robiiv 

strength,  and  he  knoweth  it  not :  ejus,  et  ipse  non  intelligit :  etiara 

yea,  grey  hairs  ai*e  here  and  there  canities  sparsa  est  in  eo,  et  ipse 

upon  him,  yet  he  Icnoweth  not.  non  intelligit. 

The  Prophet  follows  the  same  subject,  that  is,  that  Israel 
had  not  repented,  though  the  Lord  had  in  various  ways  in- 
vited them  to  repentance  ;  yea,  and  constrained  them  by  his 
scourges.  It  is  indeed  a  proof  of  desperate  and  incurable 
wickedness,  when  God  prevails  nothing  with  us  either  by 
his  word  or  by  his  stripes.  When  we  are  deaf  to  his  teaching 
and  admonitions,  it  is  quite  evident  that  we  are  wholly  per- 
verse :  but  when  the  Lord  also  raises  up  his  hand  and  inflicts 
punishment,  if  then  we  bend  not,  what  can  be  said,  but  that 
our  sins  have  taken  such  deep  roots,  that  they  cannot  be  torn 
away  from  us  ?  Hence  God  in  these  words  shows  that  the 
Israelites  were  now  past  all  remedy  ;  for  after  having  been  so 
often  and  in  so  many  ways  warned,  they  did  not  return  to 
the  right  way ;  nay,  they  did  not  think  of  their  sins,  but 
remained  insensible.  And  Paul  says  of  such  that  they  are 
affjjXyjjjcorag,  ("  past  feeling,"  Eph.  iv.  ]  9,)  that  is,  void  of 
feeling.  When  men  are  touched  by  no  grief  in  their  dis- 
tresses, it  is  certain  that  they  are  smitten  by  the  spirit  of 
giddiness.  Notwithstanding,  the  Israelites  no  doubt  felt 
their  evils  ;  but  the  Prophet  means,  that  they  were  so  stupi- 
fied,  that  they  did  not  consider  the  cause  and  source  of  them. 
And  what  can  it  avail,  when  one  knows  himself  to  be  ill,  and 
yet  looks  not  to  God,  nor  thinks  that  he  is  justly  visited  ? 

^  The  account  which  Pocock^  as  quoted  by  Neivcome^  gives  of  baking 
in  the  East  among  the  country-people  is  the  following  : — "  The  people 
make  a  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  room  :  when  the  bread  is  ready  for  bak- 
ing they  sweep  a  comer  of  the  hearth,  lay  the  bread  there,  cover  it  with 
hot  ashes  and  embers,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  turn  it." 


CHAP.  VII.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  259 

Hence  when  any  one  cries  only  on  account  of  the  strokes,  and 
regards  not  the  hand  of  the  striker,  as  another  Prophet  says, 
(Isaiah  ix.  13,)  there  is  certainly  in  him  complete  stupidity. 
We  hence  see  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view  when  he  said, 
that  Israel  did  not  understand  while  he  teas  devoured  hy  strangers., 
while  hoariness  teas  spreading  over  him  ;  for  he  attended  not  to 
the  cause  of  evils,  but  remained  stupid  ;  nor  did  he  raise  up 
his  mind  to  God,  so  as  to  impute  to  his  sins  all  the  evils  which 
he  suflfered. 

He  says,  that  his  strength  was  eaten  hy  strangers.  God  had 
promised  that  the  people  would  be  under  his  pi'otection  ;  and 
when  they  were  exposed  to  the  plunder  of  strangers,  why 
did  they  not  perceive  that  they  were  deprived  of  God's  pro- 
tection ?  And  this  could  not  have  happened,  except  their 
own  sin  had  deprived  them  of  this  privilege.  Hence  the 
Israelites  must  have  been  extremely  blind  and  alienated  in 
mind,  when  they  did  not  perceive  that  they  were  thus 
spoiled  by  strangers,  because  God  did  not  now  defend  them, 
nor  was  their  patron,  as  he  Avas  wont  to  be  formerly. 

He  adds,  that  hoariness  ivas  upon  him.  Some  understand 
by  this,  that  the  Israelites  were  not  improved  by  long  suc- 
cession of  years.  Age,  as  we  know,  through  long  experience, 
brings  to  men  some  prudence.  Young  people,  even  when 
the  Lord  invites  them  to  himself,  are  carried  away  by  some 
impulse  or  another  ;  but  in  the  aged  there  is  greater  prudence 
and  moderation.  Many  hence  think  that  the  Israelites  are 
here  condemned  because  they  had  profited  nothing — no,  not 
even  by  the  advance  of  age.  But  the  Prophet,  I  doubt  not, 
expresses  the  greatness  of  their  calamities  by  this  mode  of 
speaking,  when  he  says  that  hoariness  was  sprinkled  over  him ; 
for  we  know,  that  when  any  one  is  grievously  pained  and 
afflicted,  he  becomes  hoary  through  the  very  pressure  of 
evils ;  inasmuch  as  hoariness  proceeds  not  only  from  years, 
but  also  from  troubles  and  heavy  cares,  which  not  only  waste 
men,  but  consume  them.  We  indeed  know  that  men  grow 
old  through  the  suffering  of  evils.  And  here,  in  my  judg- 
ment, the  Prophet  means,  that  "  hoariness  had  come  upon 
Israel,'' — that  is,  that  he  had  been  visited  with  so  many  evils, 
that  he  was  worn  out,  as  it  were,  with  old  age ;  and  that, 


260  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIX. 

after  all,  he  had  derived  no  benefit.  We  now  perceive  the 
truth  of  what  I  have  said  before,  that  it  was  the  constant 
teaching  of  the  Prophet,  that  the  diseases  which  prevailed 
among  the  people  of  Israel  were  incurable,  for  they  could  by 
no  remedies  be  brought  to  repentance.     It  follows  — 

10.  And  the  pride  of  Israel        10.  Et  testificabitur  (vel,  testificata  est) 

testifieth   to   his  face :    and  superbia  Israelis  ad  faciem  ejus,  et  non 

they  do  not   retiu'n  to  the  reversi   sunt  ad  Jehovam  Deum  suum, 

Lord  their  God,  nor  seek  him  et    non    qujesieruut    eum    in    omnibus 

for  all  this.  his. 

The  Prophet  now  confirms  his  previous  doctrine,  and 
speaks  generally,  that  the  pride  of  Israel  shall  hear  testimojiy 
to  him  to  his  face,  or  shall  humble  him  to  his  face.  The 
word  T]^^,  one,  means,  in  Hebrew,  "to  testify,"  and  often, 
also,  "  to  humble,"  or  "  to  afilict,"  as  it  was  stated  in  the 
fifth  chapter;  and  the  words  of  the  Prophet  are  now  the 
same,  and  both  senses  are  appropriate.  I  do  not,  however, 
make  much  of  this,  for  the  design  of  the  Prophet  is  clear ; 
what  he  means  is,  that  God  had  so  openly  chastised  the 
Israelites,  that  they  must  have  perceived  his  hand,  except 
they  were  blind  indeed,  and  that,  being  at  the  same  time 
warned,  they  ought  to  have  suppliantly  humbled  themselves. 
Whether  then  we  read,  "to  testify"  or  "to  humble,"  the 
sense  wUl  be  the  same,  and  the  design  of  the  Prophet  will 
appear  to  be  the  same.  "  The  pride,  then,  of  Israel  will 
humble  him  to  his  face,"  or,  "  the  pride  of  Israel  will  testify 
to  his  face  :"  for  the  Prophet  means,  that  however  fiercely 
the  Israelites  might  rise  up  against  God,  and  be  uncourteous 
to  his  Prophets,  and  however  perversely  they  might  reject 
a.11  teaching,  and  also  excuse  their  own  sins,  yet  all  this 
would  avail  them  nothing,  since  they  were  so  cast  down  by 
their  pride,  that  the  Lord  regarded  them  as  convicted,  as 
much  so  as  if  their  crime  had  been  proved  by  many  witnesses, 
and  their  mask  now  taken  away ;  in  short,  there  was  no 
longer  any  doubt :  this  is  what  the  Prophet  means. 

The  pride,  then,  of  Israel  testifies,  or,  humbles  him  to  his 
face ;  that  is,  though  Israel  had  appeared  hitherto  inflexible 
against  all  admonitions,  against  all  punishments,  they  were 
yet  held  as  convicted ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  return  not, 


CHAP.  VII.  11,  12.   COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  261 

he  says,  to  their  God,  and  seek  him  not  for  all  these  things. 
We  now  perceive  what  1  have  said,  that  the  previous  com- 
plaint respecting  the  diabolical  perverseness  which  so  reigned 
in  the  people  is  here  confirmed,  so  that  their  salvation  was 
now  past  hope.  And  he  says  that  they  returned  not  to  Jehovah 
their  God ;  for  they  were  running  constantly  after  their  idols, 
as  we  have  before  seen ;  yea,  they  were  possessed  with  that 
inordinate  zeal  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks  in  the  beginning 
of  the  chapter ;  but  they  returned  not  to  Jehovah ;  they 
were  wholly  taken  up  with  the  multitude  of  their  deities,  and 
at  the  same  time  had  no  regard  for  God. 

And  when  he  says,  their  God,  he  conveys  a  strong  repro- 
bation ;  for  God  had  manifested  himself  to  them  ;  yea,  he 
had  made  himself  plainly  known  to  them  by  his  law.  That  they 
then  did  not  return  to  him,  was  not  simply  through  ignorance 
or  error  ;  but  through  a  diabolical  madness,  as  if  they  wished 
of  their  own  accord  and  deliberately  to  perish.  God  then 
calls  himself  here  the  God  of  Israel,  not  for  honour's  sake,  but 
that  he  might  the  more  expose  their  ingratitude,  and  enhance 
their  perfidiousness,  because  they  had  fallen  away  from  him, 
and  would  not  seek  him. 

What  he  means,  when  he  says.  For  all  these  things,  is,  that 
every  kind  of  remedy  had  been  tried,  and  hence  that  their 
disease  was  wholly  incurable.  When  we  can  do  nothing  in 
one  way,  we  often  try  another.  Now  God  had  not  tried  in  one 
way  only  to  bring  Israel  back  to  himself,  but  he  had  tried  all 
remedies.  When  no  good  followed,  what  was  to  be  said,  but 
the  people  were  lost,  and  past  all  hope  ?  This  then  is  what  the 
Prophet  means  here.     It  now  follows — 


11.  Ephraim  also  is  like  a  silly  11.  Et  fuit  EjAraim  tauquam  co- 
dove  witlioiit  heart :  tbey  call  to  lumba  credula  (vel,  quae  fallitur,  vel, 
Egypt,  they  go  to  Assyria.  decliiians,  nt  alii  vertunt)  sine  corde 

(id  est,  sine  intelligentia ;  cor  enim 
scepe  est  Hebrceis  voluntas,  sed  inter- 
dum  menteni  et  intelligentiam  signifi- 
cat;)  clamant  ^gyptum,  proficis- 
cuntur  in  Assyi'iam. 

12.  When  they  shall  go,  I  will  12.  Ubi  autemprofectifuerunt(i'e/, 
spread  my  net  upon  them ;  I  will  quocuuque  profecti  fuerunt)  exten- 
bring  them  down  as  the  fowls  dam  super  eos  rete  meimi :  tauquam 
of   the  heaven  ;    I  will   chastise     avem  coeli  dejiciam  eos ;  corrigam  eos. 


262  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIX. 

them,  as  their  congregation  hath     (vel,  ligabo,)  secundum  auditionem 
heard.  coetus  ipsorum.^ 

The  Prophet  here  first  blames  Israel  for  foolish  credulity, 
and  compares  them  to  a  dove ;  for  they  had  invited  the 
Egyptians  and  sent  to  Assyria  for  help.  Simplicity  is  indeed 
a  commendable  virtue,  when  joined  to  prudence.  But  aa 
everything  reasonable  and  judicious  in  men  is  turned  into 
wickedness,  when  there  is  no  integrity  ;  so  when  men  are  too 
credulous  and  void  of  all  judgment  and  reason,  it  is  then  mere 
folly.  But  when  he  says  that  Israel  is  like  a  dove,  he  does 
not  mean  that  the  Israehtes  had  sinned  through  mere  ignor- 
ance, but  that  they  were  destitute  of  all  judgment ;  and  this 
folly  is  opposed  to  the  knowledge  which  God  had  offered  to 
them  in  his  law  :  for  God  had  never  ceased  to  guide  Israel  by 
sound  doctrine ;  he  had  ever  exhibited  before  them  the  torch 
of  his  word ;  but  when  God  thus  gave  them  light,  Israel  was 
so  credulous  as  to  give  heed  to  the  delusions  of  Satan  and  of 
the  world.  We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet. 

Some  render  rtHISj  pute,  by  "  turning  aside  :"  and  its  root 
nnSj  p^te,  no  doubt,  means  "  to  turn  aside ;"  and  it  means 
also  sometimes  "  to  persuade :"  hence  some  give  this  ren- 
dering, "  a  persuasible,"  or,  "  a  credulous  dove."  But  the 
Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  means,  that  they  were  enticed  by  flat- 
teries, or  deceived  by  allurements,  which  is  the  same  thing. 
Israel  then  was  like  a  dove,  deceived  by  various  Im^es. 

How  so  ?  Because  they  ran  to  the  Assyrians,  they  invited 
the  Egyptians.  If  Israel  had  attended  to  the  law  of  God, 
they  might  have  felt  assured  that  they  were  not  in  danger  of 
going  astray  ;  for  the  Lord  keeps  us  not  in  suspense  or  doubt, 
that  we  may  fluctuate,  but  makes  our  minds  fixed  and  tran- 
quil by  his  word,  as  it  is  also  said  in  another  place,  '  This  is 
rest.'  It  Avas  then  determined  by  the  Israelites  not  to  fix 
their  feet  as  it  were  on  solid  ground  ;  and  they  preferred  to 
fly  here  and  there  like  doves  ;  and  their  credulity  led  them 
to  many  errors.  How  ?  Because  they  chose  rather  to  give 
themselves  up  to  be  deceived  by  the  Egyptians  as  well  as  by 

^  "  As  they  hear  it  declared  in  their  congregations." — Bp.  Horslcy. 


CHAP.  Yll.  llj  12.    COMMEMTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  263 

the  Assyrians,  when  yet  God  was  willing  to  guide  them  by 
sound  knowledge.  We  now  understand  the  design  of  this 
accusation  of  the  Prophet  to  be,  that  Israel  wilfully  refused 
the  way  of  safety  offered  to  them,  which  they  might  have 
followed  with  confidence,  and  with  a  tranquil  and  composed 
mind ;  but  in  the  meantime  they  flew  up  and  down,  and 
became  wilfully  erratic ;  for  they  suffered  themselves  to  be 
deceived  by  various  lures. 

Now  this  place  teaches  us  that  men  are  not  to  be  excused 
by  the  pretext  of  simplicity  ;  for  the  Prophet  here  condemns 
this  very  weakness  in  the  Israelites.  We  ought  then  to  at- 
tend to  the  rule  of  Christ,  '  To  be  innocent  as  doves,  and  yet 
to  be  prudent  as  serpents.'  But  if  Ave  inconsiderately  aban- 
don ourselves,  the  excuse  of  ignorance  will  be  frivolous  ;  for 
the  Lord  shines  upon  us  by  his  word  and  shows  us  the  right 
way  ;  and  he  has  also  in  his  power  the  spirit  of  prudence  and 
judgment,  which  he  never  denies  to  those  who  ask.  But 
when  we  despise  the  word,  and  neglect  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  follow  our  own  vagrant  imaginations,  our  sin  is  twofold ; 
for  we  thus  despise  and  quench  the  light  of  the  word,  and 
we  also  wilfully  perish,  when  the  Lord  would  save  us. 

But  a  denunciation  of  punishment  afterwards  follows. 
Wheresoever,  he  says,  thei/  shall  go,  I  will  expand  over  them 
my  net,  and  loill  draic  them  dotcn  as  the  birds  of  heaven.  God 
shows  that  though  the  Israelites  might  turn  about  here  and 
there,  yet  their  end  would  be  unhappy ;  for  he  would  have 
his  expanded  net :  and  he  follows  up  the  simile  he  used  in 
the  last  verse.  He  had  said  that  they  were  like  doves,  which 
are  carried  by  a  sudden  instinct  to  the  bait,  and  consider  not 
the  expanded  net.  If  then  the  dove  sees  only  the  lure,  and 
at  the  same  time  shuns  not  the  danger,  it  is  a  proof  of  foolish 
simplicity.  Hence  God  says,  /  will  expand  my  net ;  that  is, 
I  will  cause  all  your  endeavours  and  purposes  to  be  disap- 
pointed, and  all  your  hopes  to  be  vain ;  for  wheresoever  they 
shall  fly,  my  net  shall  he  expanded. 

This  is  a  remarkable  passage ;  for  we  hence  learn,  that  the 
issue  will  always  be  unfortunate,  if  we  attempt  any  thing 
contrary  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  if  we  hold  consulta- 
tions over  which  his  Spirit  does  not  preside ;  as  it  is  said  by 


264  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XIX. 

Isaiah,  ch.  xxx.  and  xxxi.,  '  Woe  to  them  who  weave  a  web, 
and  draw  not  from  my  mouth  !  Woe  to  them  who  take  coun- 
sel, and  invoke  not  my  Spirit !'  This  passage  wholly  agrees 
with  the  words  of  Isaiah,  though  the  form  of  speaking  is  dif- 
ferent. It  belongs  then  to  God  to  bless  our  counsels,  that 
they  may  have  a  prosperous  and  the  desired  success.  But 
when  God  is  not  favourable,  but  even  opposed  to  our  designs, 
what  end  shall  at  last  await  us,  but  that  whatever  we  may 
have  attained  shall  at  length  be  turned  to  our  ruin  ?  Let 
us  then  know,  that  whatever  men  do  in  this  world  is  ruled 
by  the  hidden  providence  of  God ;  and  as  God  leads  by  his 
extended  hand  his  own  people,  and  gives  his  angels  charge 
to  guide  them ;  so  also  he  has  his  expanded  net  to  catch 
all  those  who  wander  after  their  own  erratic  imaginations. 
Hence  he  says.  Wheresoever  tliey  shall  go,  I  will  expand  over 
them  my  net ;  and  farther,  /  will  draiv  them  down  as  the  birds 
of  heaven. 

The  Prophet  seems  to  allude  to  the  vain  confidence,  which 
he  mentioned,  when  he  said  that  Israel  had  bound  wind  in  his 
wings.  For  when  men  presumptuously  undertake  any  thing, 
they  at  the  same  time  promise  to  themselves,  that  there  will 
be  nothing  to  prevent  them  from  gaining  their  object.  Inas- 
much then  as  men,  elated  Avith  this  foolish  confidence,  gather 
more  boldness,  yea,  at  length  furiously  assail  God,  and  seem 
as  though  they  would  break  through  the  very  clouds,  the 
Prophet  says,  /  will  draw  them  down  as  the  birds  of  heaven ; 
that  is,  "  I  will  allow  them  to  be  carried  up  for  a  time ;  but 
when  they  shall  penetrate  to  the  clouds,  I  Avill  draw  them 
down,  I  will  make  them  to  know  that  their  flying  will  avail 
them  nothing."  And  we  must  notice  from  whence  the 
Israelites  had  been  drawn  down.  For  who  would  not  have 
thought  that  so  much  protection  must  have  been  found  in  the 
Assyrians  or  in  the  Egyptians,  that  they  could  not  in  vain 
expect  deliverance  ?  But  the  Lord  laughs  to  scorn  this  vain 
power  of  the  world;  for  whateverhope  men  may  conceive,  when 
they  alienate  themselves  from  God,  it  will  entirely  vanish  like 
smoke. 

And  he  afterwards  adds,  /  roill  chastise  them,  or,  'I  wil 
bind  them :'  for  the  verb  IDS  war,  means  both  "  to  chastise" 


CHAP.  VII.  11,  12.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  265 

as  well  as  "  to  bind  ;"  so  that  either  sense  may  be  taken.  If 
the  word,  "  to  bind,"  be  ajoproved,  it  will  well  agree  with  the 
metaphor,  as  though  he  said,  "  I  will  hold  you  fast  in  my  nets." 
For  as  long  as  birds  are  allowed  to  fly,  they  think  the  whole 
heaven  to  be  theirs ;  but  when  they  fall  into  nets,  they 
remain  confined ;  they  are  then  unable  to  fly,  and  cannot 
move  their  wings.  So  then  this  sense,  /  will  bind  them,  is 
very  suitable  ;  which  means,  "  They  will  not  be  able  to  break 
my  net,  but  I  will  hold  them  there  bound  to  the  end."  But 
if  one  prefers  the  other  sense,  /  will  chastise  them,  I  do  not 
object ;  and  as  far  as  the  meaning  is  concerned,  we  see  that 
there  is  not  much  difference  Avhich  sense  we  take,  except 
that  the  word,  "to  bind,"  as  I  have  said,  harmonizes  better 
with  the  metaphor. 

He  says.  According  to  the  hearing  of  their  assemblg.  Nearly 
all  80  render  this,  as  if  God  had  said  that  he  would  punish 
them  as  he  had  threatened  by  Moses,  and  as  if  it  was  also  an 
indirect  accusation  of  their  carelessness,  because  they  did  not 
become  wise  after  having  been  long  admonished,  but  even 
despised  those  denunciations,  which  constantly  resounded  in 
their  ears.  For  God  had  not  only  prescribed  in  his  law  the 
rule  of  a  religious  life,  but  also  added  heavy  and  severe 
threatenings,  by  which  he  gave  a  sanction  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  law.  We  know  how  dreadful  are  those  curses  of  the  law. 
Since  then  God  had  even  from  the  beginning  thus  threatened 
the  Israelites,  ought  they  not  to  have  walked  more  carefully 
before  him  ?  But  they  were  not  terrified  by  these  denuncia- 
tions. Hence  God  here  indirectly  reproves  this  great  mad- 
ness, that  the  Israelites  did  not  sufficiently  attend  to  his 
threatenings,  by  which  they  might  have  been  recalled  to  the 
right  way ;  for  Moses  did  by  these  put  a  restraint  even  on 
the  furious  passions  of  men,  if  only  there  remained  in  them  a 
particle  of  sound  understanding.  Still  further,  the  same 
admonitions  had  been  often  pressed  on  them  by  the  Prophets  ; 
nor  had  God  ever  ceased  to  arouse  them,  until  the  ears  of 
them  all  had  become  deaf  to  his  voice.  Pie  therefore  saye, 
*  I  will  hold  tliem  fast  hound^  or,  '  I  will  chastise  them,  accord- 
ing to  the  hearing  of  their  assembly  f  that  is,  "The  punishment 
which  I  shall  inflict  must  have  been  long  ago  known  to  them, 


266  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XIX. 

for  I  have  openly  commanded  my  law  to  be  promulgated,  that 
I  might  thus  terrify  my  people  by  severe  threatenings ;  I  will 
now  then  execute  the  judgment,  which  they  have  not  believed, 
because  I  have  hitherto  spared  them." 

As  I  have  already  said,  interpreters  nearly  all  agree  in  this 
view,  except  that  they  do  not  consider  the  design  of  the 
Prophet ;  they  do  not  perceive  that  the  Israelites  were  up- 
braided for  their  hardness ;  but  they  only  speak  of  punish- 
ment, without  any  intimation  of  the  end  or  object  for  which 
God  had  promulgated  maledictions  in  his  law,  and  renewed 
the  recollection  of  them  by  his  Prophets.  Jerome  brings 
forward  another  meaning,  even  this,  that  God  would  punish 
the  people  according  to  the  report  of  their  assembly ;  that  is, 
that  as  they  had  with  one  consent  violated  the  worship  of  God, 
and  transgressed  his  laws,  so  he  would  punish  them  all.  I 
will  at  the  same  time  add  this  view,  that  God  would  chastise 
them  according  to  the  clamour  of  their  assembly,  so  that  the 
Prophet  points  out,  not  only  a  conspiracy  among  the  people 
of  Israel,  but  also  their  violence  in  exciting  one  another  to 
sin.  As,  then,  they  had  thus  tumultuously  risen  up  against 
God,  so  the  Prophet  in  his  turn  declares,  that  God  Avould 
punish  them ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Your  tumult  will  not  pre- 
vent me  from  quelling  your  fury.  Ye  do  indeed  with  great 
noise  oppose  me,  and  think  that  you  will  be  safe,  though 
addicted  to  your  sins;  but  this  your  violence  will  be  no 
hinderance,  for  I  have  in  my  power  the  means  of  chastising 
you." 

PEAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  seest  us  to  be  so  prone  to 
all  the  alliu'ements  of  Satan  and  the  world,  and  at  the  same 
time  so  void  of  judgment,  and  carried  away  by  mere  levity, — 
O  grant,  that  by  thy  Spirit  leading  us,  we  may  proceed  in  the 
right  com'se,  on  which  we  have  already  entered  under  thy 
guidance  and  du-ecting  hand,  so  that  we  may  never  go  astray 
from  thy  word,  nor  by  any  means  turn  aside  from  pursuing  to- 
wards the  mark  which  thou  hast  set  before  us ;  and  though 
Satan  may  attempt  to  draw  us  aside,  may  we  j'et  continue 
stedfast  in  thy  service,  and  thus  proceed,  mitil  we  arrive  at  that 
blessed  rest  which,  after  the  warfare  of  the  present  life,  thou 
hast  promised  to  us  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.    Amen. 


CHAP.  VII.  13.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  267 


13.  Woe  unto  them  !  for  they        13.  Va;  illis,  quia  recesserunt  a  me ; 

have  fled  from  me  :  destruction  vastitas  illis,  {vel,  Du'eptio,)  quia  per- 

unto  them !  because  they  have  fide  egerunt  in  me :  et  ego  redimam 

transgressed  against  me :  though  eos  (potest  etiam  resolvi  in  tempus  prcs- 

I  have  redeemed  them,  yet  they  teritum^  Redemi  eos,)  et  loquuti  sunt 

have  spoken  lies  against  me.  contra  me  mendacia. 

Here  the  Prophet  takes  away  from  the  Israelites  the  hope 
of  pardon,  and  declares  that  it  was  all  over  with  them,  for 
God  had  now  resolved  to  destroy  them.  For  as  God  every- 
where declares  himself  to  be  ready  and  inclined  to  pardon, 
hypocrites  hope  that  God  will  be  propitious  to  them ;  and 
entertaining  this  vain  confidence,  they  despise  his  threaten- 
ings  and  boldly  rise  up  against  him.  Hence  the  Prophet 
here  shows,  that  God  would  hereafter  be  inexorable  to  them, 
because  they  had  too  long  pertinaciously  abused  his  patience. 
Woe  to  them  !  he  says,  for  they  have  withdrawn  from  mz  :  deso- 
lation to  them !  for  they  have  acted  perfidiously  towards  me. 
There  is  then  no  reason,  says  the  Prophet,  for  them  to  delude 
themselves  in  future  with  vain  confidence,  as  they  have 
hitherto  done ;  for  this  has  been  once  for  all  determined  by 
God — to  inflict  on  them  his  extreme  vengeance,  for  their 
defection  deserves  this. 

He  then  adds,  /  will  redeem  them,  and  they  have  spohen  lies 
against  me.  They  who  render  the  first  word  in  the  future 
tense,  think  that  the  Prophet  asks  a  question,  "  Shall  I 
redeem  them?  for  they  have  spoken  lies  against  me:"  and 
they  think  it  to  be  an  indefinite  mode  of  speaking — "  Should 
I  redeem  them,  men  of  no  faith ;  for  what  good  should  I  do 
by  such  kindness  ?"  Others  give  this  exposition — "  Though 
I  wished  to  redeem  them,  yet  I  found  that  this  would  not  be 
beneficial  nor  just,  because  they  speak  lies  against  me;"  as 
though  God  did  not  express  here  what  he  had  done,  but 
Avhat  he  had  wished  to  do.  But  the  past  tense  is  not  unsuit- 
able to  this  place ;  and  we  know  how  common  and  familiar 
to  the  Hebrews  was  the  change  of  tenses.  The  meaning,  then, 
will  be,  "  I  have  redeemed  them,  and  they  have  spoken  lies 


268  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XX. 

against  me;"  that  is,  "  I  have  often  delivered  them  from 
death,  when  they  were  in  extreme  peril ;  but  they  have  not 
changed  their  disposition  ;  nay,  they  have  deprived  me  of  the 
praise  due  for  their  deliverance,  and  they  have  lived  in  no 
way  better  after  thfeir  deliverance.  Since,  then,  I  have  hitherto 
conferred  my  benefits  to  no  good  purpose,  nothing  now 
remains  but  that  I  must  destroy  them."  And  this  seems  to 
me  to  be  the  Prophet's  meaning. 

He  then  declares,  in  the  first  clause,  that  they  hoped  for 
mercy  in  vain  from  God,  because  their  ultimate  destruction 
was  decreed.  Then  follows  the  reason  for  this,  because  they 
had  foolishly  and  impiously  abused  the  favour  of  God,  inas- 
much as,  having  been  redeemed  by  him,  they  yet  went  on  in 
their  own  wickedness,  and  even  acted  perfidiously  towards 
God,  while  yet  they  pretended  to  act  differently.  Since,  then, 
there  was  no  change  for  the  better,  God  now  shows  that  he 
would  spend  his  favour  no  longer  on  men  so  impious.  Now 
this  place  teaches  how  intolerable  is  our  ingratitude,  when, 
after  having  been  redeemed  by  the  Lord,  we  keep  not  the 
faith  pledged  to  him,  and  which  he  requires  from  us ;  for  God 
is  our  deliverer  on  this  condition,  that  we  be  wholly  devoted 
to  him.  For  he  who  has  been  redeemed  ought  not  so  to  live, 
as  if  he  had  a  right  to  himself  and  to  his  own  will ;  but  he 
ought  to  be  wholly  dependent  on  his  Redeemer.  If,  then, 
we  thus  act  perfidiously  towards  God,  after  having  been  de- 
livered by  his  grace,  we  shall  be  guilty  of  such  impiety  and 
perfidiousness  as  deserve  a  twofold  vengeance :  and  this  is 
what  the  Prophet  here  teaches. 

We  indeed  know  how  mercifully  God  had  spared  the 
people  of  Israel :  after  they  had  fallen  away  into  superstitious 
worship,  and  had  also  violated  their  faith  to  the  posterity  of 
David,  the  Lord  did  not  yet  cease  to  show  to  that  people 
many  fiivours,  notwithstanding  their  unworthiness.  We 
know  also,  that  under  Jeroboam  prosperity  had  attended 
them  beyond  all  human  expectation.  But  they  yet  hardened 
themselves  more  and  more  in  their  wickedness,  so  far  were 
they  from  returning  to  the  right  way.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

14.  And  they  have  not  cried  14.  Et  non  clamaverunt  ad  me  in 
unto  me  with  their  heart,  when     corde  suo  :  quia  ulularunt  super  cubili- 


CHAP.  VII.  14.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  269 

they  howled  upon  theu-  beds :  bus  suis ;  ad  triticum  ct  vinum  congre- 

they  assemble  themselves  for  gabunt  se,  defecerunt  (deficient,  ad  ver- 

corn  and  wine,  and  they  rebel  bum)  h  me.^ 
against  me. 

The  Prophet  here  again  reproves  the  Israelites  for  having 
not  repented,  after  having  been  so  often  admonished ;  for,  as 
it  was  said  yesterday,  all  the  chastisements  which  God  by 
his  own  hand  inflicts  on  us,  have  this  as  the  object — to  heal  us 
of  our  vices.  Now  the  Prophet  says  here  that  the  Israelites 
had  not  cried  to  God,  which  is  yet  the  chief  thing  in  repent- 
ance. But  this  expression  is  to  be  noticed.  Thei/  have  not 
cried  to  me  with  their  heart ;  that  is,  sincerely.  We  indeed 
know  that  some  worship  of  God  had  ever  remained  among 
them ;  though  the  Israelites  devised  for  themselves  many 
gods,  yet  the  name  of  the  true  God  had  never  been  wholly 
obliterated  among  them ;  but  they  blended  the  worship  of 
God  with  their  own  inventions ;  God,  at  the  same  time, 
could  not  endure  these  fictitious  invocations.  Hence  he  says, 
that  they  cried  not  from  the  heart.  He  accuses  them,  not  that 
they  performed  no  outward  act,  but  that  they  did  not  bring 
a  real  desire  of  heart ;  nay,  they  only  cried  to  God  dissem- 
blingly.  We  now  perceive  what  the  Prophet  meant  by  say- 
ing. They  have  not  cried  to  me  ivith  their  heart.  As  calling  on 
God  is  the  chief  exercise  of  religion,  and  especially  manifests 
our  repentance,  the  Prophet  expressly  notices  this  defect  in 
the  Israelites — that  they  cried  not  to  the  Lord.  But  as  they 
might  object  and  say,  that  they  had  formally  prayed,  he  adds, 
that  they  did  not  do  so  from  the  heart ;  for  the  outward  act 
iceremonia)  without  the  exercise  of  the  heart,  is  nothing  else 
but  a  profanation  of  God's  name.  In  short,  the  Prophet 
shows  here  to  the  Israelites  their  hardness ;  for  when  they 


'  "  And  they  cry  not  to  me  with  their  heart, 
Though  they  howl  on  their  beds ; 
For  corn  and  wine  they  bestir  themselves, 
They  turn  aside  from  me." 

The  word  I  render  "  bestu-,"  whether  we  take  the  text  as  it  is,  or  a 
similar  word,  "n^13n^  countenanced  by  several  MSS.,  and  by  the 
Septuagint,  means  nearly  the  same,  signifying  great  agitation  and 
anxiety. — Ed. 


270  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XX. 

were  smitten  by  God's  hand,  they  did  not  flee  to  him  and 
supplicate  pardon,  at  least  they  did  not  do  this  from  the 
heart  or  sincerely. 

He  then  adds.  Because  they  howled  on  their  beds.  Some 
explain  the  particle  ^^,  kj.,  adversatively ;  as  though  the 
Prophet  had  said,  "  Though  they  howl  on  their  beds,  they  do 
not  yet  direct  their  petitions  to  me."  But  we  may  take  it  in 
its  proper  sense,  and  the  sentence  would  thus  run  better : 
Tliet/  hotel  then  on  their  beds,  that  is,  "  They  bring  not  their 
concerns  to  me  :  for  Uke  brute  animals  they  utter  their  bowl- 
ings :*"  and  this  we  see  to  be  the  case  with  the  unbelieving  ; 
for  they  fear  the  presence  of  God,  and  the  very  mention  of 
him  is  dreaded  by  them  ;  hence  they  howl,  that  is,  they  pour 
forth  their  impetuous  feelings,  but  at  the  same  time  they  shun 
every  access  to  God  as  much  as  they  can.  The  sense  then 
is,  "  They  cry  not  to  me  from  the  heart,  for  they  only  howl; 
but  it  is  only  by  an  animal  eifort  without  any  reason."  If, 
however,  any  one  prefers  to  take  the  particle  ^3,  ki,  adversa- 
tively, the  sense  would  not  be  unsuitable,  '*'  Though  they 
howl  on  their  beds,  they  do  not  yet  cry  to  me ;"  that  is, 
"  Though  grief  urges  them  to  make  great  noises,  they  are  yet 
mute  as  to  any  cry  of  prayer."'  If  any  one  moi'e  approves  of 
this  meaning,  I  say  nothing  against  it :  but  as  the  particle 
'•^,  ki,  is  commonly  taken  as  a  causative,  I  prefer  thus  to  ex- 
plain it,  "  As  they  cry  on  their  beds,  they  raise  not  up  their 
voice  to  God." 

Then  it  follows.  They  assemble,  or,  will  assemble  themselves 
for  corn  and  wine.  This  place  is  explained  in  two  ways. 
Some  think  that  the  Israelites  are  here  in  an  indirect  way 
reproved,  inasmuch  as  when  they  found  wine  and  com  in  the 
market,  having  obtained  their  wishes,  they  went  on  heedlessly 
in  their  sins,  and  despised  God,  as  if  they  had  no  more  need 
of  his  help.  They  then  ran  together  for  wine  and  com;  that 
is,  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  wine  or  corn,  they  provided  them- 
selves with  provisions,  and  afterwards  neglected  God.  But 
this  sense  seems  too  frigid  and  strained.  The  Prophet  then, 
I  doubt  not,  opposes  the  running  together  of  which  he  speaks, 
to  true  and  sincere  attention  to  prayer :  as  though  he  said, 
"  They  are  not  touched  with  grief  for  having  offended  me. 


CHAP.  VII.  14.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  271 

though  they  see  by  evident  proofs  that  I  am  displeased  with 
them ;  they  regard  not  ray  favour  or  my  displeasure,  provided 
they  enjoy  plenty  of  wine  and  corn  :  this  satisfies  them,  and 
it  is  all  the  same  with  them  whether  I  am  adverse  or  pro- 
pitious to  them."  This  seems  to  be  the  genuine  meaning  of 
the  Prophet. 

But  that  this  reproof  may  be  more  evident,  we  must  observe 
what  Christ  teaches,  that  we  ought  first  to  seek  the  kingdom 
of  God.     For  men  act  strangely  when  they  anxiously  labour 
only  for  this  life,  and  strive  only  to  procure  for  themselves 
food,  and  what  is  needful  for  the  wants  of  the  flesh :  we  ever 
make  a  beginning  here ;  and  yet  it  is  a  most  thoughtless 
anxiety,  when  we  are  so  attentive  to  a  frail  life,  and  in  the 
meantime  neorlect  the  kino;dom  of  God.      Inasmuch  then  as 
men  by  this  perverted  feeling  derange  the  whole  order  of 
religion,  the  Prophet  here  shows  that  the  Israelites  did  not 
truly  and  from  the  heart  cry  unto  God,  because  they  were 
only  solicitous  about  wine  and  corn ;  for  except  Avhen  they  were 
hungry,  they  despised  God,  and  allowed  him  to  rest  quietly 
in  heaven  :  hence  penury  and  want  constrained  them.     As 
brute  beasts,  when  they  are  hungry,  go  to  the  stall,  and  seek 
not  to  be  fed  by  the  Lord ;  so  also  did  the  Israelites,  when 
they  were  touched  by  some  feeling  of  need  ;  but  at  the  same 
time  they  were  contented  with  their  wine  and  corn ;  nor  had 
they  any  other  God.     Hence  they  so  cried,  that  their  voice 
did  not  come  to  God,  as  they  did  not  indeed  go  really  and 
directly  to  him.     The  Prophet  then  does  here,  by  a  particular 
instance,  convict  the  Israelites  of  impious  dissimulation,  inas- 
much as  they  did  not  seek  God,  but  were  only  intent  on  food; 
and  provided  the  stomach  was  well  supplied,  they  neglected 
God,  and  desired  not  his  favour,  and  only  wished  to  have  full 
barns  and  full  cellars ;  for  plenty  of  provisions,  without  the 
paternal  favour  of  God,  was  their  only  desire.     It  is  hence 
suflficiently  evident  that  they  did  not  cry  to  the  Lord. 

This  place  is  worthy  of  being  observed ;  for  we  here  sec 
that  our  prayers  are  faulty  before  God,  if  we  begin  with  wine 
and  bread,  and  seek  not  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  that  is,  his 
glory  ;  and  if  we  apply  not  our  minds  to  this — to  live,  so  to 
have  God  propitious  to  us.     When  we  go  to  Him,  the  foun- 


272  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS-  LECT.  XX. 

tain  of  divine  blessing,  and  only  desire  to  glut  ourselves  with 
the  abundance  of  the  good  things  which  he  has  to  bestow, 
then  all  our  prayers  are  deservedly  rejected  by  him.  We  see 
this  to  be  the  case  with  the  Papists ;  when  they  present  their 
supplications,  they  are  wholly  like  animals.  They  indeed  im- 
plore God  for  rain  and  for  dry  weather  ;  but  have  they  any 
desire  of  reconciling  themselves  to  God?  By  no  means;  for 
they  wish,  as  much  as  possible,  to  be  at  the  farthest  distance 
from  him  :  but  when  want  and  famine  constrain  them,  they 
then  ask  for  rain, — for  what  purpose  ?  only  that  they  may 
abound  in  bread  and  wine.  We  ought  then  to  preserve  a 
legitimate  order  in  our  prayers.  If  the  Lord  shows  to  us 
proofs  of  his  wrath,  we  must  strive  first  to  return  into  favour 
with  him,  and  then  his  glory  must  be  regarded  by  us,  and  he 
is  to  be  sought  with  the  real  feeling  of  piety,  that  he  may  be 
a  Father  to  us :  and  then  may  be  added  in  their  place  the 
things  which  belong  to  the  condition  and  preservation  of  the 
present  life. 

We  must  also  notice  what  he  adds,  TJiey  have  revolted  from 
me.  The  verb  ^"ID?  sur,  means,  "  to  recede,"  and  also  "  to  re- 
volt;" and  this  second  sense  is  the  most  suitable;  for  the 
Prophet  said  before  that  they  had  receded  or  departed  from 
God ;  but  now  he  seems  to  signify  something  more  grievous, 
and  that  is,  that  they  had  revolted  from  God.  Thus  hypo- 
crites, when  they  pretend  to  seek  God  in  a  circuitous  course, 
betray  their  own  revolt ;  for  they  are  unwilling  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  him  on  the  condition  that  they  are  to  change  for  the 
better  their  life,  to  cast  away  the  affections  of  the  flesh,  to 
renounce  themselves  and  their  depraved  desires.  These 
things  they  by  no  means  seek.  Hence  then  it  becomes  evi- 
dent that  they  are  witnesses  to  their  own  revolt,  and  also  to 
dissimulation  in  their  prayers,  even  when  there  is  some  ap- 
pearance of  piety.     It  follows — 

15.  Though  I  have  bound  and  strength-  15.  Et  ego  ligavi,  roboravi 
ened  their  arms,  yet  do  they  imagine  mis-  brachia  ipsorum,  et  contra 
chief  against  rae.  me  cogitant  malum. 

God  again  reproaches  the  Israelites  for  having  in  a  base 
manner  abused  his  goodness  and  forbearance.    Some  consider 


CHAP.  VII.  15.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  273 

the  verb  ^DS  isar,  as  meaning,  "  to  chastise,"  because  God 
had  disciplined  the  Israelites ;  and,  as  I  have  said  yesterday, 
it  is  often  taken  in  this  sense.  But  as  it  signifies  sometimes 
"  to  bind,"  it  seems  a  fitter  metaphor  for  this  place.  /  have 
bound  and  strengthened  their  arms ;  as  though  God  had  said, 
that  he  had  caused  their  arms  not  to  be  enervated.  For  we 
know  that  the  strength  of  the  arm  depends  on  the  structure 
of  the  nerves.  Except  the  bones  were  bound  together  by  the 
nerves,  a  dissolution  would  immediately  follow.  Hence  God 
says,  /  have  hound  and  strengthened  their  arms ;  which  two 
things  combine  for  the  same  end,  and  the  notion  of  chastising 
seems  not  to  me  to  be  in  any  way  suitable  to  the  context. 
The  meaning  is,  that  the  Israehtes  had  hitherto  continued, 
because  God  had  sustained  them  by  his  power.  As  when 
one  binds  up  and  strengthens  a  weak  or  a  loosened  arm,  so 
God  here  reminds  Israel  that  he  had  preserved  them  in  their 
position.  And  the  Prophet,  I  have  no  doubt,  alludes  here  to 
the  many  calamities  by  which  the  strength  of  Israel  might 
have  been  broken,  had  not  a  timely  remedy  been  applied  by 
the  Lord. 

God  then  compares  himself  here  to  a  physician  or  a  sur- 
geon, when  he  says  that  he  had  bound  the  arm  of  Israel  and 
strengthened  it,  when  it  might  have  been  otherwise  broken  : 
for  they  had  been  often  as  it  were  enervated,  but  the  Lord 
restored  them.  We  now  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Pi'O- 
phet  to  be,  that  God  had  not  only  by  his  power  sustained 
the  Israelites,  but  had  also  performed  the  office  of  a  surgeon 
or  a  physician,  when  he  saw  their  arms  broken,  when  they 
were  wasted  by  slaughters  in  wars,  and  by  other  adversities. 

Now  the  Israelites  were  so  far  from  being  grateful  to  God 
and  mindful  of  him,  that  they  were  even  devising  evil  against 
him.  For  after  having  obtained  victories,  after  having  been 
restored  and  even  replenished  with  fulness  of  all  blessings, 
they  the  more  boldly  conspired  against  him  ;  for  under  this 
pretence  were  superstitions  established,  and  then  followed 
the  indulgence  of  all  vices ;  for  pride,  and  cruelty,  and  am- 
bition, and  frauds,  prevailed  more  and  more.  Since  then  the 
Israelites  had  thus  perverted  the  blessings  of  God,  was  not 
the  hope  of  pardon  and  salvation  justly  cut  off  from  them? 
VOL.  I.  S 


274  THE   TWELVE   MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XX. 

Now  we  are  reminded  in  this  place,  that  whenever  God  heals 
our  evils,  and  raises  us  up  in  adversity  and  succours  us,  we 
ought  devoutly  to  acknowledge  his  favour,  and  not  to  medi- 
tate evil  against  him,  when  he  so  kindly  extends  his  hand  to 
us.    Let  us  now  proceed — 

16.  They  retiim,  but  not  to  the        16.  Eevertentur  non  Deo :  fuenmt 

Most  High :  they  are  like  a  de-  tanqitam  arcus  dolosus  {vel^   doli :) 

ceitfnl  bow:    their  princes  shall  ceciderunt  (re/, cadeut) in gladio prin- 

fall  by  the  sword  for  the  rage  of  cipes  eorum  a  superbia  {hoc  est,  prop- 

their  tongue :  this  shall  be  their  ter  superbiam)  linguje  eoram :  _  hoc 

derision  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  eorum  ludibrium  in  terra  ^gypti. 

The  Prophet  again  assails  the  perverse  wickedness  of  Is- 
rael, and  also  their  fraud  and  perfidiousness.  Hence  he  says 
that  they  feigned  some  sort  of  repentance,  but  it  was  nothing 
else  than  false  ;  for  they  returned  not  to  God.  They  returrij 
he  says,  hut  not  to  God.  Some,  however,  think  that  7p,  ol,  is 
a  preposition,  and  that  something  is  understood,  as  if  it  were 
an  elliptical  phrase  :  "  They  return,  but  not  for  anything ;" 
that  is,  when  they  return,  were  any  one  to  inquire  what  is  in 
their  minds,  or  what  is  their  purpose,  he  would  find  it  to  be 
mere  form  and  nothing  real.  But  this  exposition,  as  we  see, 
is  strained.  Besides,  the  context  requires  that  we  should 
consider  7^,  ol,  to  be  for  God,  as  it  is  also  in  other  places ; 
for  this  is  nothing  new.  Then  it  is,  They  return  not  to 
God. 

The  Prophet  then  declares  here,  that  the  Israelites  were 
wholly  perverse,  so  that  God  could  force  out  of  them  no  repent- 
ance ;  that  when  they  pretended  something,  it  was  mere  deceit, 
for  they  did  not  come  in  a  direct  way  to  God.  For  hypocrites, 
as  it  has  been  said  before,  when  God's  hand  presses  hard 
on  them,  seem  indeed  to  be  different  from  what  they  were 
previously,  but  they  always  shun  God.  The  Lord  does  not 
in  vain  exhort  the  people  by  Jeremiah  to  return  to  him,  '  If 
thou  wilt  return,  O  Israel,'  he  says,  *  return  unto  me,'  ( Jer. 
iv.  1.)  For  he  knew  that  by  devious  windings  men  always 
go  astray,  and  keep  not  to  the  straight  course.  This  is  the 
meaning. 

Then  the  Prophet  adds,  that  they  were  like  a  deceitful  how. 
This  is  an  explanation  of  the  last  sentence ;  and  hence  we 


CHAP.  VII.  16.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  275 

conclude  that  the  word  ^J^,  ol,  cannot  be  otherwise  taken 
than  for  God.  The  Prophet  shows  how  the  Israelites  with- 
drew themselves  from  God,  while  they  seemed  to  repent,  for 
they  were,  he  says,  like  a  deceitful  boio.  Some  expound  it,  the 
bow  of  darting  or  shooting ;  and  no  doubt  T\t2^,  reme,  means 
to  dart  and  to  shoot ;  but  this  sense  cannot  be  taken  here, 
for  we  see  that  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view  was  to  show, 
that  the  Israelites  put  on  a  guise,  and  did  nothing  but  de- 
ceive, when  they  made  a  show  of  repentance.  To  confirm 
this,  he  says,  that  they  were  like  an  oblique  bow.  For  the 
archer,  when  he  intends  to  shoot  an  arrow,  first  levels  at  a 
certain  mark;  then  the  arrow  seems  to  be  directed  to  that 
place  which  the  archer  fixes  on  by  his  eyes.  Now,  if  the 
bow  is  oblique,  the  arrow  will  fly  elsewhere;  or  the  bow  may 
slip,  so  as  to  throw  back  the  arrow  to  the  archer  himself. 
The  like  comparison  is  found  in  Ps.  Ixxviii.,  where  it  is  said, 
that  the  Jews  were  turned  back  ^  like  a  deceitful  bow ;'  and 
in  that  passage  this  very  word  occurs.  But  there  is  here  no 
ambiguity ;  for  God  accuses  the  people  that  they  had  turned 
back;  that  is,  that  they  had  turned  backward  their  course, 
even  like  a  deceitful  bow.  If  one  reads,  "  the  bow  of  dart- 
ing," or,  "  of  shooting,"  there  will  be  no  sense ;  nay,  it  will  be 
vapid  and  absurd.  It  is  then  better  to  render  the  expression 
here,  '  a  deceitful  bow.' 

And  we  must  notice  the  import  of  the  similitude,  to  which 
I  have  already  referred,  that  is,  that  as  archers  aim  the  arrow 
to  the  mark,  as  they  direct  its  flight  by  winking  and  levelling, 
and  shoot ;  so  hypocrites  seem  to  strive  with  great  eflfort, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  they  are  deceitful  bows ;  that  is,  their 
mind  is  driven  back,  and  they  fly  away  from  God,  and,  by 
tortuous  windings,  go  astray,  so  that  they  never  come  to 
God,  but  rather  turn  their  backs  on  him. 

He  then  adds.  Their  j)rinces  shall  fall  by  the  sword  for  the 
pride  of  their  tongue.  The  Prophet  again  denounces  vengeance 
on  the  Israelites,  that  they  might  feel  assured  that  the 
heavenly  decree  respecting  their  destruction  could  not  be 
changed.  For  though  hypocrites  always  dread,  and  cannot 
hope  anything  from  God,  yet  they  never  cease  to  flatter  them- 
selves, and  always  to  contrive  some  new  hope.     Inasmuch 


276  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XX. 

then  as  they  are  so  bountiful  in  vain  promisings,  the  Prophet 
says  that  there  was  no  reason  for  the  Israelites  to  hope 
for  any  remedy  in  their  distresses.  Their  princes  then  shall 
fall:  and  in  saying  '  princes/  he  takes  a  part  for  the  whole; 
for  God  does  not  thus  threaten  princes,  or  denounces  ruin  on 
them,  as  though  he  intended  to  except  the  common  people ; 
but  he  implies,  that  that  destruction  would  be  common  to  all, 
which  not  even  the  princes  themselves  would  escape.  And 
we  know  that  in  battles,  when  a  great  slaughter  is  made,  the 
common  soldiers  lie  dead  in  great  numbers,  and  but  few  of 
the  chiefs.  But  God  says  here,  "  I  will  take  away  the  whole 
flower  of  the  people.  And  if  none  of  the  princes  shall  re- 
main, what  will  become  of  the  ignoble  vulgar,  who  are  deemed 
of  no  account  ?"     The  princes  then  shall  fall  by  the  sword. 

He  then  adds.  For  the  pride  of  their  tongue.  Some  expound 
this  phrase  actively,  as  though  the  Prophet  had  said,  that 
they  had  provoked  God's  wrath  by  their  blasphemies  and 
profane  speeches  ;  but  I  rather  take  it  for  their  high  vaunt- 
ing :  For  the  pride  of  their  tongue,  he  says,  thet/  shall  fall ; 
that  is,  because  they  haughtily  boasted  of  their  strength,  and 
held  in  contempt  all  the  prophecies,  because  they  dared  to 
vomit  forth  their  blasphemies  against  God,  and  dared,  also, 
no  less  obstinately  than  proudly,  to  defend  their  own  impious 
and  depraved  forms  of  w'orship,  I  will  revenge,  he  says,  "  this 
pride."  We  hence  see  that  "  pride,"  here,  is  to  be  taken  for 
that  disdain  which  the  impious  show  by  their  high  vaunting, 
as  it  is  said  elsewhere,  '  They  raise  to  heaven  their  tongues,' 
(Ps.  Ixxiii.  9.) 

This  will  be  their  derision  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  As  the  Is- 
raelites, then  relying  on  the  cursed  treaty  which  they  had 
made  with  the  Egyptians,  continued  perverse  against  God, 
he  says,  "  I  wiU  expose  them  to  derision  among  their  con- 
federates :  they  boast  of  the  power  of  Egypt :  they  think 
themselves  beyond  the  reach  of  harm,  as  they  can  instantly 
call  the  Egyptians  to  their  aid,  were  any  one  to  oppose  them, 
or  were  any  enemy  to  invade  them.  Since,  then,  their  con- 
fidence BO  rests  on  Egypt,  I  will  make,"  he  says,  "  the 
Egyptians  to  regard  them  with  scorn ;  and  they  shall  not 
only  be  counted  ignominious  by  those  who  rival  or  envy 


CHAP.  VIII.  1.         COMMENTARIES  ON  H08EA.  277 

them,  but  also  by  the  friends  in  whom  they  glory.  I  will 
give  them  up  to  every  kind  of  dishonour  among  their  lovers." 
He  indeed  compares,  as  we  have  before  seen,  the  Egyptians 
as  well  as  the  Assyrians,  to  lovers,  and  compares  his  people 
to  an  unfaithful  wife,  who,  having  deserted  her  husband, 
prostitutes  her  own  chastity.  "  Thou,"  he  says,  "  sellest  thy- 
self to  thy  lovers,  and  strivest  to  please  them,  and  pain  test 
and  adornest  thyself  to  allure  them  :  I  will  cover  thee  all  over 
with  everything  disgraceful  and  ignominious,  that  thy  lovers 
shall  abhor  thy  very  sight."  So  also  in  this  place,  he  says 
that  the  Israelites  shall  be  for  derision  in  the  land  of  Egypt ; 
that  is,  not  enemies,  whom  they  fear,  shall  have  them  in  de- 
rision ;  but  they  shall  be  a  laughing-stock  to  those  who  they 
think  will  be  their  defenders,  and  through  whose  arms  they 
imagine  that  they  shall  be  free  from  every  disgrace.  The 
eighth  chapter  follows. 


CHAPTEE  Vm. 

1.  Set  the  trumpet  to  thy  mouth.        1.  Super  palatum  tuum  tuba,  tan- 

He  shall  come  as  an  eagle  against  quam  aquila  super  domum  Jehovaa,' 

the  house  of  the  Lord,  because  they  quia  transgress!  sunt  foedus  meum, 

have  transgi-essed  my  covenant,  et  contra  legem  meam  impi^  egerunt 

and  trespassed  against  my  law.  (yel^  perfide  segesserunt.) 

Interpreters  nearly  all  agree  in  this,  that  the  Prophet 
threatens  not  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  but  the  kingdom  of  Ju- 
dah,  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  because  he  names  the 

^  "  The  comet  at  thy  mouth,  be  it  like  the  eagle  over  the  house  of  Je- 
hovah."— Horsley.  It  is  in  a  note  added, — "  Let  the  sound  of  the  cornet 
in  thy  mouth  be  shrill  and  terrible,  as  the  ominous  scream  of  the  eagle 
hovering  over  the  roof  of  the  temple."  But  the  literal  rendering  of  the 
words  will  admit  more  natm'ally  another  sense.     I  translate  it  thus : — 

"  To  thy  mouth  the  trumpet, 
Like  the  eagle  over  the  house  of  Jehovah." 

That  is,  seize  the  trumpet  as  quickly  as  the  eagle  flies.  He  thereby  de- 
notes that  judgment  was  to  come  without  delay  ;  or  the  distich  may  be 
thus  rendered, — 

"  To  thy  mouth  the  tnimpet,  like  the  eagle, 
Against  the  house  of  Jehovah." 

That  is,  "Apply  the  trumpet  quickly,  imitate  the  quickness  of  the  eagle, 
and  use  it  to  proclaim  war  against  the  house  of  Jehovah." — Ed. 


278  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XX. 

house  of  God,  which  they  take  to  be  the  temple.     I  indeed 
allow,  that  the  Prophet  has  spoken  already,  in  two  places,  of 
the  kingdom  of  Judah,  but  as  it  were  in  passing.     He  has, 
it  is  true,  introduced  some  reproofs  and  threatenings,  but  so 
that  the  distinction  was  quite  clear ;  and  we  see  that  he  now 
goes  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  but  in  the  second  verse,  he 
names  Israel,  and  yet  continues  his  discourse.     To  thy  mouth, 
he  says,  the  trumpet^  ^c. ;  and  afterwards  he  adds,  To  me  shall 
they  cry,  TMy  God  ;  we  know  thee,  Israel.     Here,  certainly, 
the  discourse  is  addressed  to  the  ten  tribes.     I  am  therefore 
by  no  means  induced  to  explain  the  beginning  of  the  chapter 
by  applying  it  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah :  and  I  certainly  do 
wonder  that  interpreters  have  mistaken  in  a  matter  so  trif- 
ling ;  for  the  house  of  God  means  not  only  the  temple,  but 
also  the  whole  people.     As  Israel  retained  this  boast,  that 
they  were  a  people  holy  to  God,  and  that  they  were  his 
family,  he  says,  "  Put  or  set  the  trumpet  to  thy  mouth,  and 
proclaim  the  war,  which  is  now  nigh  at  hand ;  for  the  enemy 
hastens,  who  is  to  attack  the  house  of  God,  that  is,  this  holy 
people,  who  cover  themselves  with  the  name  of  God,  and 
who,  trusting  in  their  election  and  adoption,  think  that  they 
shall  be  free  from  all  evils ;  war  shall  come  as  an  eagle  against 
this  house  of  God." 

Had  the  Prophet  added  any  thing  which  could  be  referred 
peculiarly  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  I  should  willingly  ac- 
cede to  their  opinion,  who  think  that  the  house  of  God  is  the 
sanctuary.  But  let  the  whole  context  be  read,  and  any  one 
may  easily  perceive,  that  the  Prophet  speaks  of  Israel  no  less 
in  the  first  verse  than  in  the  second  and  third.  For,  as  it 
has  been  said,  he  lays  down  no  difference,  but  pursues  through- 
out his  teaching  or  discourse  in  the  same  strain. 

He  says  first,  A  trumpet  to  thy  month,  or,  "  Set  to  thy  mouth 
the  trumpet."  It  is  an  exhibition,  (hypotyposis ;)  for  we 
know  that  God,  in  order  to  affect  more  powerfully  the  people, 
clothes  his  Prophets  with  various  characters.  The  Prophet 
then  is  introduced  here  as  a  herald  who  proclaims  war,  or  a 
messenger,  or  by  whatever  name  you  may  be  pleased  to  call 
him.  Here  then  the  Prophet  is  commanded,  not  to  speak 
with  his  mouth,  but  to  show  by  the  trumpet  that  war  was 


CHAP.  VIII.  1.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  279 

nigh,  as  though  God  himself  by  his  trumpet  declared  war 
against  Israel,  which  was  to  be  carried  on  soon  after  by 
earthly  enemies.  The  enemies  were  soon  after  to  come,  and 
the  herald  was  to  come  in  the  usual  manner  to  declare  war. 
The  Greeks  call  them  xjj^uxsg,  proclaimers,  we  say,  Les  heraux. 
As  these  earthly  kings  have  their  proclaimers,  or  xri^uTisg,  or 
heralds,  or  messengers,  who  proclaim  war ;  so  the  Lord  sends 
his  Prophet  with  the  usual  charge  to  declare  war :  "  Go 
then,  and  let  the  Israelites  know,  not  now  by  thy  mouth,  but 
even  by  thy  throat,  by  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  that  I  am 
an  enemy  to  them,  and  that  I  am  present  with  a  strong  army 
to  destroy  them."  It  is  indeed  certain,  that  the  Prophet  did 
not  use  a  trumpet ;  but  the  Lord  by  this  representation,  as  I 
have  already  said,  increased  the  reality  of  what  was  taught, 
that  the  Israelites  might  perceive,  that  it  was  not  in  sport  or 
in  play  that  the  Prophet  threatened  them,  but  that  it  was 
done  seriously,  as  though  they  now  saw  the  herald,  who  was 
to  proclaim  war ;  for  this  was  not  usually  done,  except  when 
the  army  is  already  prepared  for  battle. 

He  then  says.  As  an  eagle  against  the  house  of  Jehovah.  We 
have  already  said  what  the  Prophet  means  by  the  house  of 
Jehovah,  even  that  people  who  thought  that  they  would  be 
exempt  from  every  evil,  because  they  had  been  adopted  by 
the  Lord.  Hence  the  Israelites  called  themselves  God's 
household ;  and  though  under  this  cover,  they  impiously  and 
profanely  abandoned  themselves  to  every  kind  of  turpitude, 
yet  they  thought  that  they  Avere  on  the  best  of  terms  with  God 
himself.  "  There  shall  come,"  he  says,  "  a  common  ruin  to 
you  all ;  this  boasting  shall  not  prevent  me  from  taking  ven- 
geance at  last  on  your  sins."  But  he  adds.  As  an  eagle,  that 
the  Israelites  might  not  think  that  there  was  to  be  a  long  de- 
lay ;  for  the  impious  procrastinate,  when  they  see  any  danger 
at  hand.  Hence,  that  the  Israelites  might  not  continue  tor- 
pid in  their  vices,  the  Prophet  says,  that  the  destruction  of 
which  he  spoke  would  be  like  the  eagle ;  for  in  a  moment 
the  eagle  goes  over  an  immense  distance,  and  we  wonder 
when  we  see  it  over  our  heads,  though  a  little  before  it  did  not 
appear.  So  also  the  Prophet  says,  that  destruction,  though 
not  yet  seen,  was  however  nigh  at  hand,  that  being  smitten 


280  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXI. 

with  tenor,  though  now  late,  yet  as  the  Lord  was  thus  urg- 
ing them,  they  might  return  to  him. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  continuest  daily  to  restore 
ns  to  thyself,  both  by  scourges  and  by  thy  word,  though  we 
cease  not  to  go  astray  after  sinfid  desires, — 0  grant,  that  by 
the  direction  of  thy  Spirit,  we  may  at  length  so  return  to  thee, 
that  we  may  never  afterwards  fall  away,  but  be  preserved  in 
pure  and  true  obedience,  and  thus  constantly  continue  in  the 
pure  worship  of  thy  majesty  and  in  true  obedience,  that  after 
this  life  past,  we  may  at  last  reach  that  blessed  rest,  which  is 
reserved  for  us  in  heaven,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


We  were  not  able  yesterday  to  complete  the  first  verse  of 
the  eighth  chapter.  It  then  remains  for  us  to  consider  the 
latter  clause,  in  which  the  Prophet  expresses  the  cause  of  the 
war  which  he  had  previously  proclaimed  by  God's  command. 
He  says,  that  the  Israelites  had  transgressed  the  covenant 
of  the  Lord,  and  conducted  themselves  perfidiously  against 
his  law.  He  repeats  the  same  thing  twice,  for  the  covenant 
and  the  law  are  synonymous  ;  only  the  word,  law,  in  my 
view,  is  added  as  explanatory,  as  though  he  had  said,  that 
they  had  violated  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  which  had  been 
sanctioned  or  sealed  by  the  law.  God  then  had  made  a  cove- 
nant with  Israel,  which  he  designed  to  be  comprehended  in 
the  tables.  Since  then  it  was  not  unknown  to  the  Israelites 
what  they  owed  to  God,  they  were  covenant-breakers.  It 
was  then  the  doubling  of  theu'  crime,  as  the  Prophet  shows, 
that  they  had  not  fallen  through  mistake  when  they  trans- 
gressed the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  for  they  had  been  more 
than  sufficiently  taught  by  the  law  what  faith  and  what 
purity  the  Lord  required  of  them  :  at  the  same  time,  the  cove- 
nant which  the  Lord  so  openly  made  with  them  was  yet 
neglected.     It  follows — 


CHAP.  Vlir.  2,  3.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  281 

2,  Israel  shall  cry  unto  2.  Mihi  clamabunt,  Deus  mi,  novimus  te, 
me,  My  God,  we  know    Israel.^ 

tliee. 

3.  Israel  hath  cast  off  3.  Deseruit  Israel  bonum  (vel,  abominatus 
the  thing  that  is  good  :  the  est,  repulit,  vel,  recessit  procvd  h  bono :)  hostis 
enemy  shall  pui'sue  him.  persequetur  eum. 

By  the  Prophet  saying,  To  me  shall  they  cry,  some  under- 
stand that  the  Israelites  are  blamed  for  not  fleeing  to  God ; 
and  they  thus  explain  the  Prophet's  words,  "  They  ought  to 
have  cried  to  me,"  It  seems  to  others  to  be  an  exhortation, 
"  Let  the  Israelites  now  cry  to  me."  But  I  take  the  words 
simply  as  they  are,  that  is,  that  God  here  again  touches  the 
dissimulation  of  the  Israelites,  They  will  cry  to  me,  We  knoio 
thee ;  and  to  this  the  ready  answer  is,  Israel  hath  cast  aicay 
good  far  from  himself;  the  enemy  shall  pursue  him.  I  thus  join 
together  the  two  verses  ;  for  in  the  former  the  Lord  relates 
what  they  would  do,  and  what  the  Israelites  had  already 
beffun  to  do ;  and  in  the  latter  verse  he  shows  that  their 
labour  would  be  in  vain,  because  they  ever  cherished  wicked- 
ness in  their  hearts,  and  falsely  pretended  the  name  of  God, 
as  it  has  been  previously  observed,  even  in  their  prayers. 
Israel,  then,  will  cry  to  me,  My  God,  we  know  thee.  Thus 
hypocrites  confidently  profess  the  name  of  God,  and  with  a 
lofty  air  affirm  that  they  are  God's  people  ;  but  God  laughs 
to  scorn  all  this  boasting,  as  it  is  vain,  and  worthy  of  derision. 
They  will  then  cry  to  me;  and  then  he  imitates  their  cries, 
My  God,  we  know  thee.  When  hypocrites,  as  if  they  were 
the  friends  of  God,  cover  themselves  with  his  shadow,  and 
profess  to  act  under  his  guardianship,  and  also  boast  at  the 

1  The  construction  of  this  verse  is  anomalous,  there  being  a  mixtm*e 
of  numbers,  not  uncommon  in  this  book.  The  original  is  the  following : — 

The  literal  rendering  is  this  : — 

•*  To  me  they  will  cry,  My  God,  we  have  known  thee,  Israel." 

If  we  take  the  future  as  expressive  of  a  continued  act,  as  it  is  often  to  be 
taken,  and  consider  "  my  God  "  as  the  expression  of  each  one  inchided 
in  "  tliey,"  or  accommodate  it  to  "  they,"  and  say  "  our  God,"  aud  if  we 
regard  "Israel  "to  be  in  apposition  with  "  we,"  as  some  critics  think 
and  veiy  justly,  then  we  have  the  following  appropriate  rendering : — 

"  To  me  they  cry,  Our  God ;  we,  Israel,  have  known  thee." — Ed. 


282  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXI. 

same  time  of  their  knowledge  of  true  doctrine,  and  boast  of 
faith  and  of  the  worship  of  God ;  be  it  so,  he  sajs,  that  these 
cries  are  uttered  by  their  mouths,  yet  facts  speak  differently, 
and  reprove  and  expose  their  hypocrisy.  We  now  then  see 
how  these  two  verses  are  connected  together,  and  what  is  the 
Prophet's  object. 

The  verb  H^T)  zv^nQch,  means  "  to  remove  far  off,"  and  "  to 
throw  to  a  distance ;"  and  sometimes,  as  some  think,  "  to 
detest."  There  is  here,  I  doubt  not,  an  implied  contrast  be- 
tween the  rejection  of  good  and  the  pursuing  of  which  the 
Prophet  speaks  afterwards,  Israel  hath  driven  good  far  from 
himself;  some  expound  )2*lt3j  thuh,  of  God  himself,  as  if  it  was 
of  the  masculine  gender  :  but  the  Prophet,  I  have  no  doubt, 
simply  accuses  the  Israelites  of  having  receded  from  all  jus- 
tice and  uprightness ;  yea,  of  having  driven  far  off  every 
thing  right  and  just.  Israel,  then,  hath  repelled  good;  the 
enemy,  he  says,  ivill  pursue  him.  There  is  a  contrast  between 
repelling  and  pursuing,  as  though  the  Prophet  said,  that  the 
Israelites  had  by  their  defection  obtained  this,  that  the 
enemy  would  now  seize  them.  There  is  then  no  better  de- 
fence for  us  against  all  harm,  than  attention  to  piety  and 
justice ;  but  when  integrity  is  banished  from  us,  then  we  are 
exposed  to  all  evils,  for  we  are  deprived  of  the  aid  of  God. 
We  then  see  how  beautifully  the  Prophet  compares  these 
two  things — the  rejection  of  good  by  Israel — and  their  pur- 
suit by  their  enemies.     He  then  adds— - 


4.  Tlicy  have  set  up  kings,  but  not        4.  Ipsi  regnare  fecerunt  et  non 

by  me  :  they  have  made  prmces,  and  ex  me  :  priucipatum  instituerunt 

I  knew  it  not :  of  their  silver  and  et  nescivi :  argentum  suum  et  au- 

their  gold  have  they  made  them  idols,  rum    suum    fecerunt    sibi    idola, 

that  they  may  be  cut  off.  propterea  excidetur. 

The  Prophet  here  notices  two  things,  with  respect  to 
which  he  reprobates  the  perfidy  and  impious  perverseness  of 
the  people, — they  had,  against  the  will  of  God,  framed  a  re- 
ligion for  themselves, — and  they  had  instituted  a  new  king- 
^  dom.  The  salvation  of  that  people,  Ave  know,  was,  as  it 
were,  founded  on  a  certain  kingdom  and  priesthood  ;  and  by 
these  two  things  God  testified  that  he  was  aUied  to  the 


CHAP.  VIII.  4.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  283 

children  of  Abraham.  We  know  where  the  happiness  of  the 
godly  is  deposited,  even  in  Christ ;  for  Christ  is  to  us  the 
fulness  of  a  blessed  life,  because  he  is  a  king  and  a  priest^- 
Hence  I  have  said,  that  through  a  certain  kingdom  and 
priesthood  did  the  favour  of  God  towards  the  people  then 
shine  forth.  Now  when  the  Israelites  overturned  the  king- 
dom, which  God  by  his  own  authority  instituted,  and  when 
they  corrupted  and  adulterated  the  priesthood,  did  they  not, 
as  it  were,  designedly  extinguish  the  favour  of  God,  and 
strive  to  annihilate  whatever  was  needful  for  their  salvation  ? 
This  then  is  what  the  Prophet  now  speaks  of,  that  is,  that 
the  Israelites  in  changing  the  kingdom  and  priesthood  had 
undermined  the  Avhole  appointment  of  God,  and  openly  showed 
that  they  were  unwilling  to  be  ruled  by  God's  hand  ;  for  they 
would  have  never  dared  to  turn  aside,  even  in  the  least  de- 
gree, from  the  kingdom  of  David,  nor  would  they  have  dared 
to  set  up  a  new  and  spurious  priesthood,  if  any  particle  of 
the  fear  of  God  had  prevailed  in  their  hearts. 

We  now  perceive  the  design  of  the  Prophet,  which  inter- 
preters have  not  sufficiently  considered ;  for  some  refer  this 
to  the  covenants,  as  it  seemed  strange  to  them,  that  the 
Israelites  should  be  so  severely  reproved  for  setting  up  Jero- 
boam as  their  king,  since  Ahijah  the  Shilonite  had  already 
declared  by  God's  command,  that  it  would  be  so.  But  they 
attend  not  sufficiently  to  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view  ;  for, 
as  I  have  already  said,  when  God  instituted  the  priesthood, 
there  shone  forth  in  it  the  image  of  Christ  the  Mediator, 
whose  office  it  is  to  intercede  with  God  that  he  might  recon- 
cile him  to  men  ;  and  then  in  the  person  of  David  shone  forth 
also  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Now  when  the  people  tumidtu- 
ously  chose  a  new  king  for  themselves  without  any  com- 
mand from  God,  and  when  they  built  for  themselves  a 
new  temple  and  altar  contrary  to  what  the  law  prescribed, 
and  when  they  divided  the  priesthood,  was  not  all  this 
a  manifest  corruption,  a  denial  of  religion  ?  It  is  hence 
evident  that  the  Israelites  were  in  both  these  respects  apos- 
tates ;  for  they  forsook  God  in  two  ways, — first,  by  separat- 
ing from  the  house  of  David, — and  then  by  forming  for  them- 


284  THE  TWELTE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXI, 

selves  a  strange  worship,  which  God  had  not  commanded  in 
his  law. 

With  regard  to  the  first,  he  says,  They  have  caused  to  I'eign, 
but  not  through  me ;  they  have  instituted  a  government,  and  I 
knew  it  not,  that'  is,  without  my  consent ;  for  God  is  said 
not  to  know  what  he  does  not  approve,  or  that  concerning 
which  he  is  not  consulted.     But  some  one  may  object  and 
say,  that  God  knew  of  the  new  kingdom  since  he  was  the 
founder  of  it.     To  this  the  answer  is,  that  God  so  works, 
that  this  pretext  does  not  yet  excuse  the  ungodly,  since  they 
aim  at  something  else,  rather  than  to  execute  his  purpose. 
As  for  instance,  God  designed  to  prove  the  patience  of  his 
servant  Job  :  the  robbers  who  took  away  his  property,  were 
they  excusable?     By  no  means.     For  what  was  their  object, 
but  to  enrich  themselves  by  injustice  and  plunder  ?     Since 
then  they  purchased  their  advantage  at  the  expense  of  another, 
and    unjustly  robbed  a  man  who  had  never  injured  them, 
they  were  destitute  of  every  excuse.     The  Lord,  however, 
did  in  the  meantime  execute  by  them  what  he  had  appointed, 
and  what  he  had  already  permitted  Satan  to  do.    He  intended, 
as  it  has  been  said,  that  his  servant  should  be  plundered  ;  and 
Satan,  who  influenced  the  robbers,  could  not  himself  move  a 
finger  except  by  the  permission  of  God ;  na}',  except  it  was 
commanded  him.     At  the  same  time,  the  Lord  had  nothing 
in  common  or  in  connection  with  the  wicked,  because  his 
purpose  was  far  apart  from  their  depraved  lust.     So  also  it 
must  be  said  of  what  is  said  here  by  the  Prophet.     As  God 
intended  to  punish  Solomon,  so  he  took  away  the  ten  tribes. 
He  indeed  suflfered  Solomon  to  reign  to  the  end  of  his  days, 
and  to  retain  the  government  of  the  kingdom ;  but   Reho- 
boam,  who  succeeded  him,  lost  the  ten  tribes.     This  did  not 
happen  by  chance ;  for  God  had  so  decreed ;  yea,  he  had  de- 
clared that  it  would  be  so.     He  sent  Ahijah  the  Shilonite  to 
offer  the  kingdom  to  Jeroboam,  who  had  dreamt  of  nothing 
of  the  kind.   God  then  ruled  the  whole  by  his  own  secret  counsel, 
that  the  ten  tribes  should  desert  their  allegiance  to  Rehoboam, 
and  that  Jeroboam,  being  made  king,  should  possess  the 
greater  part  of  the  kingdom.     This,  I  say,  was  done  by  God's 
decree :  but  yet  the  people  did  not  think  that  they  were 


CHAP.  VIII.  4.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  285 

obeying  God  in  revolting  from  Reboboam,  for  they  desired 
some  relaxation,  when  they  saw  that  the  young  king  wished 
tyrannically  to  oppress  them  ;  hence  they  chose  to  themselves 
a  new  king.  But  they  ought  to  have  endured  every  wrong 
rather  than  to  deprive  themselves  of  that  inestimable  blessing, 
of  which  God  gave  them  a  symbol  and  pledge  in  the  kingdom 
of  David ;  for  David,  as  it  has  been  said,  did  not  reign  as  a 
common  king,  but  was  a  type  of  Christ,  and  God  had  promised 
his  favour  to  the  people  as  long  as  his  kingdom  flourished, 
as  though  Christ  did  then  dwell  in  the  midst  of  the  people. 
When  therefore  the  people  shook  off  the  yoke  of  David,  it  was 
the  same  as  if  they  had  rejected  Christ  himself,  because 
Christ  in  his  type  was  despised. 

We  hence  see  how  base  was  the  conduct  of  the  people  in 
joining  themselves  to  Jeroboam.  For  that  sedition  was  not 
merely  a  proof  of  levity,  as  some  people  do  often  rashly  upset 
the  state  of  things ;  it  was  not  merely  a  rash  levity,  but 
an  impious  denial  of  God's  favour,  the  same  as  if  they  had 
rejected  Christ  himself.  They  had  also,  in  this  way,  torn 
themselves  from  the  body  of  the  Church ;  and  though  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  surpassed  the  kingdom  of  Judah  in  wealth 
and  power,  it  yet  became  like  a  putrid  member,  for  the  whole 
soundness  depended  on  the  head,  from  which  the  ten  tribes 
had  cut  themselves  off.  We  now  then  see  why  the  Prophet 
so  sharply  expostulates  with  the  Israelites  for  setting  up  a 
kingdom,  but  not  through  God ;  and  solved  also  is  the  ques- 
tion, how  God  here  declares  that  that  was  not  through  him, 
which  yet  he  had  determined  and  testified  by  the  mouth  of 
his  prophet,  Ahijah  the  Shilonite ;  that  is,  that  God,  as  it 
has  been  said,  had  not  given  a  command  to  the  people,  nor 
permitted  the  people  to  withdraw  themselves  from  their  alle- 
giance to  Rehoboam.  God  then  denies  that  that  kingdom, 
with  respect  to  the  people,  was  set  up  by  his  decree  ;  and  he 
says  that  what  was  done  was  this, — that  the  people  made  a 
king  without  consulting  him ;  for  the  people  ought  to  have 
attended  to  what  pleased  him,  to  what  the  Lord  himself  con- 
ceded ;  this  they  did  not,  but  suddenly  followed  their  own 
blind  impulse. 

And  this  place  is  worthy  of  being  observed ;  for  we  hence 


286  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXI. 

learn  that  the  same  thing  is  done  and  not  done  by  the  Lord. 
Foolish  men  at  this  day,  not  versed  in  the  Scripture,  excite 
great  commotions  among  us  about  the  providence  of  God ; 
yea,  there  are  many  rabid  dogs  who  bark  at  us,  because  we 
say,  (what  even  Scripture  teaches  every ^vhere,)  that  nothing 
is  done  except  by  the  ordination  and  secret  counsel  of  God, 
and  that  whatever  is  carried  on  in  this  world  is  governed  by 
his  hand.  ''  How  so  ?  Is  God,  then,  a  murderer  ?  Is  Gody 
then,  a  thief?  Or,  in  other  words,  are  slaughters,  thefts,  and 
all  kinds  of  wickedness,  to  be  imputed  to  him  ?"  These  men 
show,  while  they  would  be  deemed  acute,  how  stupid  they 
are,  and  also  how  absurd ;  nay,  rather,  what  mad  wild  beasts 
they  are.  For  the  Prophet  here  shows  that  the  same  thing 
was  done  and  not  done  by  the  Lord,  but  in  a  different  way. 
God  here  expressly  denies  that  Jeroboam  was  created  king 
by  him  ;  on  the  other  hand,  by  referring  to  sacred  history,  it 
appears  that  Jeroboam  was  created  king,  not  by  the  suffrages 
of  the  people,  but  by  the  command  of  God ;  for  no  such  thing 
had  yet  entered  the  mind  of  the  people,  when  Ahijah  was 
bidden  to  go  to  Jeroboam ;  and  he  himself  did  not  aspire  to 
the  kingdom,  no  ambition  impelled  him ;  he  remained  quiet 
as  a  private  man,  and  the  Lord  stirred  him  up  and  said,  "  I 
will  have  thee  to  reign."  The  people  knew  nothing  of  these 
things.  After  it  was  done,  who  could  have  denied  but  that 
Jeroboam  was  set  on  the  throne,  as  it  were,  by  the  hand  of 
God  ?  All  this  is  true  ;  but  Avith  regard  to  the  people,  he 
was  not  created  by  God  a  king.  Why  ?  Because  the  Lord 
had  commanded  David  and  his  posterity  to  reign  perpetually. 
We  hence  see  that  all  things  done  in  the  world  are  so  dis- 
posed by  the  secret  counsel  of  God,  that  he  regulates  what- 
ever the  ungodly  attempt,  and  whatever  even  Satan  tries 
to  do,  and  yet  he  remains  just ;  and  it  avails  nothing 
to  lessen  the  fault  of  evils  when  they  say,  that  all  things 
are  governed  by  the  secret  counsel  of  God.  With  regard 
to  themselves,  they  know  what  the  Lord  enjoins  in  his 
law ;  let  them  follow  that  rule :  when  they  deviate  from 
it,  there  is  no  ground  for  them  to  excuse  themselves  and  say 
that  they  have  obeyed  God ;  for  their  design  is  ever  to  be 
regarded.     We  hence  see  how  the  Israelites  appointed  a  king, 


CHAP.  VIII.  4.        COMMENT AEIES  ON  HOSEA.  287 

but  not  by  God ;  for  It  was  sedition  that  Impelled  them, 
when,  at  the  same  time,  the  law  enjoined  that  they  should 
choose  no  one  as  a  king  except  him  who  had  been  elected  by 
God ;  and  he  had  marked  out  the  posterity  of  David,  and 
designed  that  they  should  occupy  the  royal  throne  till  the 
coming  of  Christ. 

Then  follows  the  other  charge, — that  they  made  to  them- 
selves idols  from  their  gold  and  from  their  silver.  God  here 
complains  that  his  worship  was  not  only  fallen  into  decay, 
but  that  it  was  also  wholly  corrupted  by  superstitions.  It 
was  an  impiety  not  to  be  borne,  that  the  people  had  desired 
a  new  king  for  themselves ;  but  it  was  the  summit  of  all 
evils,  when  the  Israelites  converted  their  gold  and  their  silver 
into  idols.  They  have  made,  he  says,  their  gold  and  silver  idols  ; 
that  is,  "I  destined  the  gold  and  the  silver,  with  which  they 
have  been  enriched,  for  very  different  pui'poses.  When, 
therefore,  I  was  liberal  to  them,  they  abused  my  kindness, 
and  from  their  gold  and  their  silver  they  made  to  them- 
selves idols  or  gods."  Here,  then,  the  Prophet,  by  impli- 
cation, sharply  reproves  the  blind  madness  of  the  people, 
that  they  made  to  themselves  gods  of  corruptible  things, 
which  ought,  in  the  meantime,  to  be  serviceable  to  them ; 
for  to  what  pm'pose  is  money  given  us  by  the  Lord,  but  for 
our  daily  use  ?  Since,  then,  the  Lord  has  destined  gold  and 
silver  for  our  service,  what  frenzy  it  is  when  men  work  them 
into  gods  for  themselves  !  But  this  main  point  must  be  ever 
remembered,  that  the  Israelites,  in  all  things,  betrayed  their 
own  defection  ;  for  they  hesitated  not  to  overthrow  the  king- 
dom which  God  had  instituted  for  their  salvation,  and  they 
dared  to  pervert  the  whole  worship  of  God,  together  with 
the  priesthood,  by  introducing  new  superstitions. 

Then  follows  a  denunciation  of  punishment — Therefore 
Israel  shall  he  cut  off.  Were  any,  indeed,  to  object  and  say 
that  God  was  too  rigid,  there  would  be  no  reason  for  such  an 
objection  ;  for  they  had  betrayed  and  violated  their  pledged 
faith,  and  by  contemning  and  treading  under  foot  both  the 
kingdom  and  priesthood,  they  had  rejected  his  favour.  We 
hence  see  that  the  Prophet  threatens  them  now  with  deserved 
destruction.     Let  us  proceed — 


288  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXI. 

6.  Thy  calf,  O  Samaria,  hath  6.  Elongavit  {vel,  procul  rejecit ;  est 

cast    thee   off;    mine    anger    is  idem  verbum,  hJT)   vitulus  tuus  (vel, 

kindled  against  them :  how  long  vitulnm  tuum)    Samaria  ;   excanduit 

will   it  be  ere  they  attain  to  furor  mens  in  illos  :  quousque  non  po- 

innocency?  terunt  munditiem  (vel,  innocentiam.) 

The  Prophet  goes  on  with  the  same  subject ;  for  he  shows 
that  Israel  perished  through  their  own  fault,  and  that  the 
crime,  or  the  cause  of  destruction,  could  not  be  transferred 
to  any  other.     There  is  some  ambiguity  in  the  words,  which 
does  not,  however,  obscure  the  sense ;  for  whether  we  read 
calf  in  the  objective  case,  or  say,  thy  calf  hath  removed  thee  far 
off,  it  will  be  the  same.     Some  say,  "  hath  forsaken  thee,"  as 
they  do  above,  "  Israel  hath  forsaken  good  ;"  but  the  sense  of 
throwing  away  is  to  be  preferred.     Thy  calf,  then,  Samaria, 
hath  cast  thee  off,  or,  "  The  Lord  hath  cast  far  off  thy  calf." 
If  we  read  thy  calf  in  the  objective  case,  then  the  Prophet 
denounces  destruction  not  only  on  the  Israelites,  but  also  on 
the  calf  in  which  they  hoped.     But  the  probable  exposition 
is,  that  the  calf  had  removed  far  off,  or  driven  far  Samaria  or 
the  people  of  Samaria ;  and  this,  I  have  no  doubt,  is  the 
meaning  of  the  words ;  for  the  Prophet,  to  confirm  his  pre- 
vious doctrine,  seems  to  remind  the  Israelites  again,  that  the 
cause  of  their  destruction  was  not  anywhere  to  be  sought  but 
in  their  wickedness,  and  especially  because  they,  haviug  for- 
saken the  true  God,  had  made  an  idol  for  themselves,  and 
formed  the  calf  to  be  in  the  place  of  God.     Now,  it  was  a 
stupidity  extremely  gross  and  perverse,  that  having  experi- 
enced,  through  so  many  miracles,  the  infinite  power  and 
goodness  of  God,  they  should  yet  have  betaken  themselves  to 
a  dead  thing.     They  forged  for  themselves  a  calf  1     Must 
they  not  have  been  moved,  as  it  were,  by  a  prodigious  mad- 
ness, when  they  did  thus  fall  away  from  the  true  God,  who 
had  so  often  and  so  wonderfully  made  himself  known  to  them  ? 
Hence   God   says   now.    Thy  calf,    O  Samaria ;  that  is, 
"  The  captivity  which  now  impends  over  thee  will  not  hap- 
pen by  a  fortuitous  chance,  nor  will  it  be  right  to  ascribe  it 
to  the  wrong  done  by  enemies,  that  they  shall  by  force  take 
thee  to  distant  lands  ;  but  thy  very  calf  drives  thee  away.  God 
had  indeed  fixed  thee  in  this  land,  that  it  might  be  to  thee  a 


CHAP.  VIII.  6.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  289 

quiet  heritage  to  the  end ;  but  thy  calf  hath  not  suffered 
thee  to  rest  here.  The  land  of  Canaan  was  indeed  thy 
heritage,  as  it  was  also  the  Lord's  heritage ;  but  after  God 
has  been  banished,  and  the  calf  has  been  introduced  in  his 
place,  by  what  right  can  you  now  remain  in  the  possession  of 
it  ?  Thy  calf,  then,  expels  thee,  inasmuch  as  by  thy  calf  thou 
hast  first  attempted  to  banish  the  true  God."  We  now  per- 
ceive the  mind  of  the  Prophet. 

He  afterwards  says  that  his  anger  kindled  against  them. 
He  includes  here  all  the  Israelites,  and  shows  that  it  cannot 
be  otherwise,  but  that  God  would  inflict  on  them  extreme 
vengeance,  inasmuch  as  they  were  not  teachable,  (as  we  have 
before  often  observed,)  and  could  not  be  turned  nor  reformed 
by  any  admonitions. 

How  long,  he  says,  toill  they  he  not  able  to  attain  cleanness, 
or  innocency  ?  He  here  deplores  the  obstinacy  of  the  people, 
that  at  no  period  or  space  of  time  had  they  returned  to  a  sane 
mind,  and  that  there  was  no  hope  of  them  in  future.  Hoto 
long  then  icill  they  not  he  ahle  to  attain  innocency  9  "  Since  it  is 
so  ;  that  is,  since  they  are  unimpressible,  (incompatihiles — not 
capable  of  feeling,)  as  they  commonly  say,  since  they  are  void 
of  all  purity  or  innocency,  I  am,  therefore,  now  constrained 
to  adopt  the  last  remedy,  and  that  is,  to  destroy  them."  Here 
God  shuts  the  mouth  of  the  ungodly,  that  they  could  not 
object  that  the  severity  which  he  so  rigidly  exercised  towards 
them  was  immoderate.  He  refutes  their  calumnies  by  saying 
that  he  had  patiently  borne  with  them,  and  was  still  bearing 
with  them.  But  he  saw  them  to  be  so  obstinate  in  their 
wickedness,  that  no  hope  of  them  could  be  entertained.  It 
follows — 

6.  For  from  Israel  was  6.  Quia  ex  Israele  etiam  {sic  verto) 
it  also  :  the  workman  artifex  fecit  eura,  et  nou  est  Dens :  quia  in 
made  it ;  therefore  it  is  frusta  (vel^  fragmenta  ;  contritiones  alii  t:er- 
not  God :  but  the  calf  of  terent ;  alii^  scintillas  :  sedclarus  est  sensus,  si 
Samaria  shall  be  broken  ita  vertaiur^  in  fragmenta)  erit  vituhis  Sa- 
in pieces.  maria\ 

The  beginning  of  this  verse  is  not  rightly  explained,  as  I 
think,  by  those  who  so  connect  the  pronoun  demonstrative 
Xin?  eva,  as  if  it  had  an  interposed  copulative  ;  and  this  ought 

VOL.  1.  T 


290  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXI. 

to  be  noticed,  for  it  gives  a  great  emphasis  to  tlie  Prophet's 
words.  Even  this  is  from  Israel.  But  what  does  the  Prophet 
mean  ?  He  means  this,  that  the  calf  was  from  Israel,  as  they 
had  long  before,  at  the  beginning,  formed  to  themselves  a 
calf  in  the  deserti  But  we  do  not  yet  clearly  apprehend  the 
mind  of  the  Prophet,  unless  we  perceive  that  there  is  here 
an  implied  comparison.  For  he  accuses  the  Israelites  of  being 
the  first  founders  of  this  superstition,  and  that  they  had  not 
been,  as  it  were,  deceived  by  others  ;  for  they  had  not  borrowed 
this  corruption  from  the  Gentiles,  as  it  had  been  at  times  the 
case ;  but  it  was,  so  to  speak,  an  intrinsic  invention.  From 
Israel,  he  says,  it  is ;  that  is,  "  I  find  that  you  are  now  the 
second  time  the  fabricators  of  this  impious  superstition. 
Could  your  fathers,  when  they  forged  a  calf  for  themselves 
in  the  desert,  make  excuse  (as  they  did)  and  say,  that  they 
were  led  by  the  faith  of  others  ?  Could  they  plead  that  this 
cause  of  oiFence  was  presented  to  them  by  the  Gentiles,  and 
that  they  were  ensnared,  as  it  often  happens,  when  some 
draw  others  into  error  ?  By  no  means.  As  then  your  fathers, 
when  no  one  tempted  them  to  superstition,  became  the 
founders  of  this  new  superstition  through  their  own  inclina- 
tion, and,  as  it  Avere,  through  the  instigation  of  the  devil,  so 
this  calf  is  the  second  time  from  Israel,  for  ye  cannot  other- 
wise account  for  its  origin,  ye  cannot  transfer  the  fault  to 
other  nations  ;  within,  within,"  he  says,  "  has  this  evil  been 
generated."  We  now  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet, 
which  is,  that  this  superstition  Avas  not  derived  from  others, 
but  that  Israel,  under  the  influence  of  no  evil  persuader,  had 
devised  for  themselves,  of  their  own  accord,  this  corruption, 
through  which  they  had  departed  from  the  true  and  pure 
worship  of  God.  It  is  indeed  true,  that  oxen  and  calves 
were  worshipped  in  Egypt,  and  the  same  also  might  be  said 
of  other  nations ;  but  rivalship  did  not  influence  the  people 
of  Israel.  What  then  ?  It  cannot  certainly  be  denied,  but 
that  they  had  stimulated  themselves  to  this  impious  denial 
of  God. 

The  same  thing  may  be  brought  against  the  Papists  of  this 
day;  that  is,  that  the  filthy  mass  of  superstitions,  by  which 
the  whole  worship  of  God  is  corrupted  l^y  them,  has  been 


CHAP.  VIII.  6.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  291 

produced  b}^  themselves.  If  they  object  and  say,  that  they 
have  borrowed  many  rites  from  the  heathens  :  this  is  indeed 
true  ;  but  was  it  the  imitation  of  heathens  which  led  them  to 
these  wicked  inventions  ?  By  no  means,  but  their  own  lust 
has  led  them  astray ;  for  being  not  content  with  the  simple 
•word  of  God,  they  have  devised  for  themselves  strange  and 
spurious  modes  of  worship ;  and  afterwards  additions  were 
made  according  to  the  caprices  of  individuals  :  thus  it  has 
happened,  that  they  are  sunk  in  the  deepest  gulf.  Whence 
then  have  the  Papists  so  many  patrons,  on  whom  relying, 
they  despise  Christ  the  Mediator  ?  Even  because  they  have 
adopted  them  for  themselves.  Whence  also  have  they  so 
many  ungodly  ceremonies,  by  which  they  pervert  the  worship 
of  God  ?  Even  because  they  have  fabricated  them  for  them- 
selves. 

We  now  then  see  how  grievous  was  the  accusation,  that 
the  calf  was  even  from  Israel.  "  There  is  no  reason  then," 
the  Lord  says,  "  for  you  to  say  that  you  have  been  deceived 
by  bad  examples,  like  those  who  are  mixed  with  profane 
heathens  and  contract  their  vices,  as  contagion  creeps  in  easily 
among  men,  for  they  are  by  nature  prone  to  vice ;  there  is 
no  reason,"  he  says,  "  for  any  one  to  make  an  objection  of 
this  kind."  Why?  "Because  the  calf  your  fathers  made 
for  themselves  in  the  desert  was  from  Israel ;  and  this  calf 
also  is  from  Israel,  for  it  was  not  thrust  upon  you  by  others, 
but  Jeroboam,  your  king,  made  it  for  you,  and  you  will- 
ingly and  applaudingly  received  it." 

The  workman,  he  says,  made  it,  and  it  is  not  God.  Here 
the  Prophet  derides  the  stupidity  of  the  people ;  and  there 
are  many  other  like  places,  which  occur  everywhere,  especially 
in  the  Prophets,  in  which  God  reprobates  this  madness  of 
having  recourse  to  modes  of  worship  so  absurd.  For  what 
is  more  contrary  to  reason  than  for  man  to  prostrate  himself 
before  a  dead  piece  of  wood  or  before  a  stone,  and  to  seek 
salvation  from  it  ?  The  unbelieving  indeed  put  on  their  guises 
and  say,  that  they  seek  God  in  heaven,  and,  because  idols 
and  images  are  types  of  God,  that  they  come  to  him  through 
them ;  but  yet  what  they  do  appears  evident.  These  pre- 
tences are  then  altogether  vain,  for  their  stupidity  is  openly 


292  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  "LECT.  XXT. 

seen,  when  tliey  thus  bend  their  knees  before  a  wood  or  stone. 
Hence  the  Prophet  here  inveighs  against  this  senseless  stu- 
pidity, because  man  had  made  the  idol.  "  Can  a  mortal  man 
make  a  god  ?  Ye  do  certainly  ascribe  divinity  to  the  calf; 
is  this  in  the  power  of  the  workman  ?  Man  hath  not  bestowed 
life  on  himself,  and  cannot  for  one  moment  preserve  that  life 
which  he  has  obtained  at  the  pleasure  of  another ;  how  then 
can  he  make  a  god  from  wood  or  stone  ?  What  sort  of  mad- 
ness is  this  ?" 

He  then  adds,  It  is  not  God,  for  in  fragments  shall  be  the 
calf  of  Samaria.  The  Prophet  shows  here  from  the  event, 
how  there  was  no  power  or  no  divinity  in  the  calf,  because 
it  was  to  be  reduced  to  fragments.  The  event  then  would 
at  length  show  how  madly  the  Israelites  played  the  fool,  when 
they  formed  to  themselves  a  calf,  to  be  as  it  were  the  symbol 
of  the  divine  presence.  We  now  see  what  the  Prophet  means : 
for  he  enhances  the  sin  of  Israel,  because  they  had  not  been 
enticed  by  others  to  depart  from  the  pure  and  genuine  wor- 
ship of  God,  but  they  had  been  their  own  deceivers.  This 
is  the  meaning.     It  follows — 

7.  For  they  have  sown  the  7.  Quia  ventum  serent  (cevte  seriint 
wind,  and  they  shall  reap  the  veutum,  inquit  prima  loco)  et  turbinem 
whirlwind:  it  hath  no  stalk:  metent :  non  est  ei  culmus,  gennen  nou 
the  bud  shall  yield  no  meal :  if  producet  ferinam  (non  faciet,  ad  ver- 
so be  it  yield,  the  strangers  shall  bion  ,-)  si  forte  produxerit,  extranei 
swallow  it  up.  vorabunt  earn. 

The  Prophet  here  shows  by  another  figure  how  unprofit- 
ably  the  Israelites  exercised  themselves  in  their  perverted 
worship,  and  then  how  vainly  they  excused  their  superstitions. 
And  this  reproof  is  very  necessary  also  in  the  present  day. 
For  we  see  that  hypocrites,  a  hundred  times  convicted,  will 
not  yet  cease  to  clamour  something :  in  short,  they  cannot 
bear  to  be  conquered ;  even  when  their  conscience  reproves 
them,  they  will  still  dare  to  vomit  forth  their  virulence  against 
God.  They  will  also  dare  to  bring  forward  vain  pretences  : 
hence  the  Prophet  says,  that  they  have  sown  the  wind,  and 
that  they  shall  reap  the  whirlwind.  It  is  an  appropriate 
metaphor ;  for  they  shall  receive  a  harvest  statable  to  the 
sowing.     The  seed  is  cast  on  the  earth,  and  afterwards  the 


CUAP,  VIII.  7.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  293 

harvest  is  gathered :  They  have  sown,  he  says,  the  wind,  they 
shall  then  gather  tlie  whirlwind,  or,  the  tempest.  To  sow  the 
wind  is  nothing  else  than  to  put  on  some  appearance  to  dazzle 
the  eyes  of  the  simple,  and  by  craft  and  guise  of  words  to 
cover  their  own  impiety.  When  one  then  casts  his  hand,  he 
seems  to  throw  seed  on  the  earth,  but  yet  he  sows  the  wind. 
So  also  hypocrites  have  their  displays,  and  set  themselves  in 
order,  that  they  may  appear  wholly  like  the  pious  worshippers 
of  God. 

We  hence  see  that  the  design  of  the  Prophet's  metaphor, 
when  he  says  that  they  sow  the  wind,  is  to  show  this,  that 
though  they  differ  nothing  from  the  true  worshippers  of  God 
in  outward  appearance,  they  yet  sow  nothing  but  wind ;  for 
when  the  Israelites  offered  their  sacrifices  in  the  temple,  they 
no  doubt  conformed  to  the  rule  of  the  law,  but  at  the  same 
time  came  short  of  obedience  to  God.  There  was  no  faith  in 
their  services :  it  was  then  wind ;  that  is,  they  had  nothing 
but  a  windy  and  an  empty  show,  though  the  outward  aspect 
of  their  service  differed  nothing  from  the  true  and  legitimate 
worship  of  God.  They  then  sow  the  wind  and  reap  the 
whirlwind.     But  we  cannot  finish  to-day, 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  the  rule  of  thy  true  and  lawful 
worship  is  sufficiently  known  to  us,  and  thou  continuest  to  ex- 
hort us  to  persevere  in  our  course,  and  to  abide  in  that  pure 
and  simple  worship  which  thou  hast  fully  approved, — O  grant, 
that  we  may,  in  true  obedience  of  faith,  respond  to  thee  :  and 
though  we  now  see  the  whole  world  carried  here  and  there,  and 
aU  places  full  of  the  awful  examples  of  apostacy,  and  so  much 
madness  everywhere  prevailing,  that  men  become  more  and 
more  hardened  daily, — O  gi'ant,  that,  being  fortified  by  invin- 
cible faith  against  these  so  many  temptations,  we  may  perse- 
vere in  true  religion,  and  never  at  any  time  turn  aside  from  the 
teaching  of  thy  word,  imtil  Ave  be  at  length  gathered  to  Christ 
our  King,  under  whom,  as  our  head,  thou  hast  promised  that  we 
shall  ever  be  safe,  and  until  we  attain  that  happy  life  which  is 
laid  up  for  us  in  heaven,  through  the  same  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


294  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXII. 


nurture  ^isitnt^-mcon'O, 

We  were  not  able  in  the  last  lecture  to  finish  what  the 
Prophet  has  said  in  the  seventh  verse ;  that  is,  that  what- 
ever hope  the  Israelites  entertained  would  be  deceptive  and 
fruitless ;  for  they  imagined  many  deliverances  as  arising 
from  nothing.  He  had  before  condemned  their  wandering 
and  perverse  circuitous  courses,  now  flying  to  Egypt,  then  to 
Assyria,  in  order  to  seek  assistance,  and  at  the  same  time 
overlooking  and  neglecting  God.  He  therefore  says  now, 
that  they  would  have  to  gather  fruit  corresponding  with  what 
was  sown  :  Thet/  had  soicn  the  wind,  they  shall  reap,  he  says, 
the  whirlwind.  And  by  this  figure  he  signifies  that  their  con- 
fidence was  vain,  that  their  counsels  were  frivolous. 

He  afterwards  adds,  that  there  would  be  no  stalk;  and 
pursuing  the  same  similitude,  he  says.  The  bud  shall  yield  no 
meal;  if  so  he  it  yields,  strangers  shall  swallow  it  up.  The 
meaning  is,  that  the  Israelites  went  astray  in  their  counsels, 
and  had  nothing  real ;  it  was  the  same  as  if  one  had 
sown  the  wind.  Then  follows  the  harvest  of  the  whirlwind ; 
for  their  seed  would  not  spring  up,  no  corn  would  grow  which 
w^ould  yield  meal ;  but  if  their  counsels  attained  any  fruit,  or 
if  they  reaped  any  thing,  strangers  would  devour  it ;  for  the 
Lord  would  at  length  cause  that  their  enemies  would  scatter 
whatever  they  thought  that  they  had  attained.  It  further 
follows — 

8.  Israel  is  swallo"n-e(l  up  ;        8.  Voratus  est  Israel,  nunc  erunt  in- 

now  shall  they  be  among  the  ter  gentes  quasi  vas  in  quo  non  est  ob- 

Gentiles  as  a  vessel  wherein  is  lectatio   {hoc  est,  A^as  rejectitium,   vcl, 

no  pleasure.  contemptibUe.) 

He  uses  the  same  word  as  before  when  he  spake  of  the 
meal,  and  says,  that  not  only  the  provision  of  Israel  shall  be 
devoured,  but  also  the  people  themselves ;  and  he  upbraids 
the  Israelites  with  their  miseries,  that  they  might  at  length 
acknowledge  God  to  be  adverse  to  them.  For  the  Prophet's 
object  was  this — to  make  them  feel  their  e^  ils,  that  they 
might  at  length  humble  themselves,  and  learn  suppliantly  to 
pray  for  pardon.     For  it  is  a  great  wisdom,  when  we  so  far 


CHAP.  VIII.  9,  10.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  295 

profit  under  God's  scourges,  that  our  sins  come  before  our 
eyes. 

He  therefore  says,  Israel  is  devoured^  and  is  like  a  cast  off 
vessel,  even  among  the  Gentiles,  when  yet  that  people  excelled 
the  rest  of  the  world,  as  the  Lord  had  chosen  them  for  him- 
self. As  they  were  a  peculiar  people,  they  were  superior  to 
other  nations;  and  then  they  were  set  apart  for  this  end,  that 
they  might  have  nothing  in  common  with  the  Gentiles.  But 
he  says  now  that  this  people  is  dispersed,  and  everywhere 
despised  and  cast  off.  This  could  not  have  been,  except  God 
had  taken  away  his  protection.  We  hence  see  that  the  Pro- 
phet had  this  one  thing  in  view — to  make  the  Israelites  feel 
that  God  was  angry  with  them.     It  now  follows — 

9.  For  they  are  gone  up  9.  Quia  ipsi  ascenclerunt  in  Assyriam,  on- 
to Assyria,  a  wild  ass  ager(asinussylvestns)solitarius(a%2«"tome?i 
alone  by  himself:  Epliraim  (jeneralUcr  accipiuiit  jyro  quavisfera  ;  sylves- 
hath  hii'ed  lovers.  tris  ergo  asinus  solitarius ;)  Ephraim  conduxit 

amores  (re/,  amatorescoudnxerunt;  est  qiddem 
verbum  pluralis  numeric  IJnnj  sed  Ephraim 
est  collectivum  nomen^  ideo  nihil  est  absurdi. 
Sequitur — ) 

10.  Yea,  though  they  10.  Quanvis  couducant  (vel,  conduxerint) 
have  hired  among  the  na-  inter  gentes,  nixnc  congi-egabo  eos  et  dolebunt 
tions,  now  will  I  gather  (vel,  incipient)  paululum  ab  onere  regis, 
them,  and  they  shall  sor-  priucipum  {hoc  est,  regis  et  principuni, 
row  a  little  for  the  burden  suhaudienda  enim  est  copula  inter  nomen  -[PD 
of  the  king  of  princes.  et  DHCi'-) 

Here  again  the  Prophet  derides  all  the  labour  the  people 
had  undertaken  to  exempt  themselves  from  punishment.  For 
though  hypocrites  dare  not  openly  and  avowedly  to  fight 
against  God,  yet  tiiey  seek  vain  subterfuges  by  which  they 
may  elude  him.  So  the  Israelites  ceased  not  to  weary  them- 
selves to  escape  the  judgment  of  God ;  and  this  folly,  or  ra- 
ther madness,  the  Prophet  exposes  to  scorn.  They  have  gone 
up  to  Assyria,  he  says,  as  a  ivild  ass  alone;  Ephraim  hath  hired 
lovers.  In  the  first  clause  he  indu'ectly  reprobates  the  brutish 
wildncss  of  the  people,  as  though  he  said,  "  They  are  like  the 
wild  animals  of  the  wood,  which  can  by  no  means  be  tamed.'' 
And  Jeremiah  uses  this  very  same  similitude,  when  he  com- 
plains of  the  people  as  being  led  away  by  their  own  indomit- 
able lust,  being  like  the  wild  ass,  who,  snuffiug  the  wind,  be- 


296  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXII. 

takes  himself,  in  his  usual  manner,  to  a  precipitant  course, 
( Jer.  ii.  24.)  Probably  he  touches  also,  in  an  indirect  way,  on 
the  unbelief  of  the  people  in  having  despised  the  protection 
of  God ;  for  the  people  ought  not  to  have  thus  hastened  to 
Assyria,  as  if  they  were  destitute  of  every  help,  because  they 
knew  that  they  were  protected  by  the  hand  of  God.     And 
the  Prophet  here  reproves  them  for  regarding  as  nothing  that 
help  which  the  Lord  had  promised,  and  which  he  was  really 
prepared  to  afford,  had  not  the  Israelites  betaken  themselves 
elsewhere.     Hence  he  says,  Ephraim,  as  a  loild  ass,  has  gone 
up  to  Assyria ;  he  perceived  not  that  he  would  be  secure  and 
safe,  provided  he  sheltered  himself  under  the  shadow  of  the 
hand  of  his  God ;  but  as  if  God  could  do  nothing,  he  betook 
himself  to  the  Assyrians  :  this  was  ingratitude.   And  then  he 
again  takes  up  the  similitude  which  we  have  before  noticed, 
that  the  people  of  Israel  had  shamefully  and  wickedl}'^  de- 
parted from  the  marriage-covenant  which  God  had  made  with 
them :  for  God,  we  know,  was  to  the  Israelites  in  the  place 
of  a  husband,  and  had  pledged  his  faith  to  them  ;  but  when 
they  transferred  themselves  to  another,  they  were  like  un- 
chaste women,  who  prostitute  themselves  to  adulterers,  and 
desert  their  own  husbands.     Hence  the  Prophet  again  re- 
proves the  Israelites  for  having  violated  their  faith  pledged 
to  God,  and  for  being  like  adulterous  women.     He  indeed 
goes  farther,  and  says,  that  they  hired  adulterers  for  wages. 
Unchaste  women  are  usually  enticed  by  the  charms  of  gain  ; 
for  when  adulterers  wish  to  corrupt  a  woman,  they  offer  gifts, 
they  offer  money.     He  says  that  this  practice  was  inverted ; 
and  the  same  thing  is  expressed  by  the  Prophet  Ezekiel ; 
who,  after  having  stated  that  women  are  usually  corrupted  by 
having  some  gain  or  some  advantage  proposed  to  them,  adds, 
'  But  thou  wastest  thine  own  property,  and  settest  not  thy- 
self to  hire,  but  on  the  contrary  thou  hirest  wantons,'  (Ezek. 
xvi.  31-o3.)     So  the  Prophet   speaks   here,   though  more 
briefly,  Ephraim,  he  says,  liath  hired  lovers. 

But  it  follows.  Though  they  liave  hired  among  the  nations,  now 
will  I  gather  them.  This  place  may  be  variously  expounded. 
The  commonly  received  explanation  is,  that  God  would  gather 
the  hi)'ed  nations  against  Israel ;  but  I  would  rather  refer  it 


CHAP.  Vlll.  9,  10.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  297 

to  the  people  themselves.  But  It  admits  of  a  twofold  sense : 
the  first  is,  that  the  great  forces  ■which  the  people  had  on 
every  side  acquired  for  themselves,  woidd  not  prevent  God 
from  destroying  them  ;  for  the  verb  V^p}  kobets,  which  they 
render,  "  to  gather,"  often  means  in  Plebrew  to  throw  by  a 
slaughter  into  an  heap,  as  we  say  in  French,  Trousser,  (to 
bundle.)  And  this  meaning  would  be  very  suitable — that 
though  they  extended  themselves  far  and  wide,  by  gathering 
forces  on  every  side,  they  would  yet  be  collected  in  another 
way,  for  they  would  be  brought  together  into  a  heap.  The 
second  sense  is  this — that  when  Israel  should  be  drawn  away 
to  the  Gentiles,  the  Lord  would  gather  him ;  as  though  he 
said,  "Israel  burns  with  mad  lusts,  and  runs  here  and  there 
among  the  Gentiles;  this  heat  is  nothing  else  than  dispersion ; 
it  is  the  same  as  if  he  designedly  wished  to  desti'oy  the  unity 
in  which  his  safety  consists;  but  I  will  yet  gather  him  against 
his  will ;  that  is,  preserve  him  for  a  time." 

It  then  follows,  Thei/  shall  grieve  a  little  for  the  burden  of 
the  king  and  princes.  The  word  which  the  Prophet  uses 
interpreters  expound  in  two  ways.  Some  derive  y)TV^  ichelu, 
from  the  verb  7)1,  chel,  and  others  from  77)1?  chehl,  which 
means,  "to  begin;"  and  therefore  give  this  rendering,  "They 
shall  begin  with  the  burden  of  the  king  and  princes ;"  that 
is.  They  shall  begin  to  be  burdened  by  the  king  and  princes. 
Others  offer  this  version,  "  They  shall  grieve  a  little  for  the 
burden  of  the  king  and  princes ;"  that  is.  They  shall  be  tri- 
butaries before  the  enemies  shall  bring  them  into  exile ;  and 
this  will  be  a  moderate  grief. 

If  the  first  interpretation  which  I  have  mentioned  be  ap- 
proved, then  there  is  here  a  comparison  between  the  scourges 
with  which  God  at  first  gently  chastised  the  people,  and  the 
last  punishment  which  he  was  at  length  constrained  to  inflict 
on  them  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  They  complain  of  being  bur- 
dened by  tributes ;  it  is  nothing,  or  at  least  it  is  nothing  so 
grievous,  in  comparison  with  the  dire  futm-e  grief  which  their 
last  destruction  will  bring  with  it." 

But  this  clause  may  well  be  joined  with  that  mitigation 
which  I  have  briefly  explained,  and  that  is,  that  when  the 
people  had  willingly  dispersed  themselves,  they  had  been 


298  THE    TWELVE    MINOR    PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXII. 

preserved  beyond  expectation,  so  that  they  did  not  imme- 
diately perish ;  for  they  would  have  run  headlong  into  de- 
struction, had  not  God  interposed  an  hinderance.  Thus  the 
two  verses  are  to  be  read  conjointly.  They  ascended  into  As- 
syria as  a  wild  ass;  that  is,  "  They  showed  their  untameable 
and  wild  disposition,  when  thus  unrestrainedly  carried  away ; 
and  then  they  offer  me  a  grievous  insult;  for  as  if  they  were 
destitute  of  my  help,  they  run  to  the  profane  Gentiles,  and 
esteem  as  nothing  my  power,  which  would  have  been  ready 
to  help  them,  had  they  depended  on  me,  and  placed  their 
salvation  in  my  hand."  He  then  reproaches  their  perfidy, 
that  they  were  like  unchaste  women,  who  leave  their  hus- 
bands, and  abandon  themselves  to  lewdness.  Then  it  follows, 
Though  they  do  this,  that  is,  "  Though  having  despised  my 
aid,  they  seek  deliverance  from  the  profane  Gentiles,  and 
though  they  despise  me,  and  choose  to  submit  themselves  to 
adulterers  rather  than  to  keep  their  conjugal  faith  with  me, 
/  ivill  yet  gatlier  them,  when  thus  dispersed."  The  Lord  here 
enhances  the  sin  of  the  people ;  for  he  did  not  immediately 
punish  their  ingratitude  and  wickedness,  but  deferred  doing 
so  for  a  time ;  and  in  his  kindness  he  would  have  led  them 
to  repentance,  had  not  their  madness  been  wholly  incurable : 
Though  then  they  thus  hire  among  the  Gentiles,  I  loill  yet  gather 
them,  that  is,  "preserve  them;"  and  for  what  purpose?  that 
they  may  grieve  a  little,  and  that  is,  that  they  may  not 
wholly  perish,  as  persons  running  headlong  into  utter  ruin ; 
for  they  seemed  designedly  to  seek  their  last  destruction, 
when  they  were  thus  wilfiUly  and  violently  carried  away  to 
profane  nations.  That  is  indeed  a  most  dreadful  tearing  of 
the  body,  which  cannot  be  otherwise  than  fatal.  They  shall, 
however,  grieve  a  little ;  that  is,  "  I  will  so  act,  that  they  may 
by  degrees  return  to  me,  even  by  the  means  of  moderate 
grief." 

We  hence  see  more  clearly  why  the  Prophet  said,  that 
this  grief  would  be  small,  which  was  to  be  from  the  bm*den 
of  the  king  and  princes.  It  was  designed  by  the  Israelites  to 
excite  the  Assyrians  immediately  to  war  ;  and  this  would  have 
turned  out  to  their  destruction,  as  it  did  at  last ;  but  the  Lord 
suspended  his  vengeance,  and  at  the  same  time  mitigated  their 


CHAr.  VIII.  11.      COMMENTARIES   ON   HOSEA.  299 

grief,  when  they  were  made  tributaries.  The  king  and  his 
counsellors  were  constrained  to  exact  great  tributes;  the 
people  then  grieved :  but  they  had  no  other  than  a  moderate 
grief,  that  they  might  consider  their  sins  and  return  to  the 
Lord ;  yet  all  this  was  without  any  fruit.  Hence  the  less  ex- 
cusable was  the  obstinacy  of  the  people.  We  now  perceive 
what  the  Prophet  meant.     It  now  follows — 

11.  Becaxise  Epliraim  hatli  made  11.  Quia  multiplicavit  Ephraim 
many  altars  to  sin,  altars  shall  be  altaria  ad  peccandum,  eruut  ei  al- 
imto  him  to  sin.  taria  ad  peccandum. 

The  Prophet  here  again  inveighs  against  the  idolatry  of  the 
people,  which  was,  however,  counted  then  the  best  religion ; 
for  the  Israelites,  as  it  has  been  said,  were  become  hardened  in 
their  superstitions,  and  had  long  before  fallen  away  from  the 
pure  and  lawful  worship  of  God.  And  we  know,  that  where 
error  has  once  prevailed,  it  attains  firmness  by  length  of 
time  :  hence  the  Israelites  had  become  hardened  in  their  per- 
verted and  fictitious  worship.  They  thought  that  they  did 
the  most  meritorious  deed  whenever  they  sacrificed,  while  at 
the  same  time,  they  provoked  in  this  way  the  wrath  of  God 
more  and  more  against  themselves.  And  as  they  had  be- 
come thus  hardened,  the  Prophet  says,  that  they  multiplied 
for  themselves  altars  for  the  purpose  of  sinning,  and  that  there 
xcould  he  altars  for  them  to  sin.  It  was  (as  I  have  already 
said)  most  difficult  to  persuade  them,  that  then'  altars  were 
for  the  purpose  of  sinning,  and  that  the  more  attentive  they 
were  in  worshipping  God,  the  more  grievously  they  sinned. 

We  see  how  Papists  of  this  day  glory  in  their  abomina- 
tions. It  is  certain  that  they  do  nothing  but  Avhat  is  accursed 
before  God ;  for  there  reigns  among  them  every  kind  of  filthi- 
ness,  and  there  is  no  purity  whatever :  they  therefore  con- 
tinue to  offend  God  as  it  were  designedly.  But  at  the  same 
time  it  is  their  highest  holiness  to  multiply  altars :  the  same 
also  was  the  prevailing  error  in  the  Prophet's  time.  This 
was  the  reason  why  he  said,  that  altars  were  midiiijlied  in 
order  to  sin.  Who  at  this  day  can  persuade  the  Papists,  that 
as  many  chapels  as  they  build,  are  so  many  sins  by  which  they 
provoke  the  wrath  of  God  ?    But  the  faithful  oiiglit  to  be  con- 


300  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXII. 

teut,  not  with  one  altar,  (for  there  is  now  no  n^ed  of  an 
altar,)  but  they  ought  to  be  content  with  a  common  table. 
The  Papists,  on  the  contrary,  build  altars  to  themselves  with- 
out end,  where  they  sacrifice ;  and  they  think  that  God  is 
thus  bound  to  them  as  by  so  many  chains :  as  many  chapels  as 
are  under  the  papacy  are,  they  think,  so  many  holds  for  God, 
{Dei  carceres,)  and  that  God  is  there  held  inclosed.  But  if 
any  one  should  say,  that  so  many  fiends  {Diabolos)  dwell  in 
such  places,  we  know  how  furiously  angry  they  would  be. 

It  is  then  no  superfluous  repetition,  when  the  Prophet  says, 
that  altars  were  multiplied  in  order  to  sin ;  and  then,  that  altars 
ivould  he  for  sin :  for  in  the  second  clause,  he  speaks  of  the 
punishment  which  God  would  inflict  on  superstitious  men. 
In  the  first  clause,  he  shows  that  their  good  intentions  were 
frivolous,  and  that  they  were  greatly  deceived,  when  at  their 
pleasure  they  devised  for  themselves  various  forms  of  wor- 
ship. This  is  one  thing.  Then  it  follows.  There  shall  then 
he  to  them  altars  to  sin ;  as  they  would  not  willingly  repent, 
nor  embrace  salutary  admonitions,  God  would  at  last  really 
show  how  much  he  valued  what  they  called  their  good  inten- 
tions; for  now  a  dreadful  vengeance  was  at  hand,  which 
would  prove  to  them,  that  in  increasing  altars,  they  did  no- 
thins;  else  but  increase  sins.     It  then  follows — 

12.  I  have  written  to  liim  tlie  12.  Scripsi  ei  pretiosa  legis  mese, 
great  things  of  my  law ;  but  they  sicut  alienum  reputata  sunt  (quasi 
were  counted  as  a  strange  thing.        aliquid  extraneum  reputatum  fuit.) 

The  Prophet  shows  here  briefly,  how  we  ought  to  judge  of 
divine  worship,  and  thus  intends  to  cut  off  the  handle  from 
all  devices,  by  which  men  usually  deceive  themselves,  and 
form  disguises,  when  at  any  time  they  are  repro\^d.  For 
he  sets  the  law  of  God,  and  the  rule  it  prescribes,  in  opposi- 
tion to  all  the  inventions  of  men.  Men  think  God  unjust, 
except  he  receives  as  good  and  legitimate  whatever  they 
imagine  to  be  so ;  but  God,  as  it  is  said  in  another  place, 
prefers  obedience  to  all  sacrifices.  Hence  the  Prophet  now 
declares,  that  all  the  superstitions,  which  then  prevailed 
among  the  people  of  Israel,  were  condemned  before  God ; 
for  they  obeyed  not  the  law,  but  had  spurious   and  per- 


CHAP.  VIII.  12.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  301 

verted  modes  of  worship,  which  they  had  invented  for  them- 
selves. We  then  see  the  connection  of  what  the  Prophet 
says  :  he  had  said  in  the  last  verse,  that  they  had  multiplied 
altars  for  the  purpose  of  sinning  ;  but  so  great,  as  I  have  said, 
was  the  obstinacy  of  the  people,  that  they  would  by  no  means 
bear  this  to  be  told  to  them  ;  he  then  adds  in  the  person  of 
God,  that  his  law  had  been  given  them,  and  that  they  had 
departed  from  it. 

We  hence  see,  that  there  Is  no  need  of  using  many  words  in 
contending  with  the  superstitious,  who  daringly  devise  vari- 
ous kinds  of  worship,  and  wholly  different  from  what  God 
commands ;  for  they  are  to  be  distinctly  pressed  with  this 
one  thing,  that  obedience  is  of  more  account  with  God  than 
sacrifices,  and  further,  that  there  is  a  certain  rule  contained 
in  the  law,  and  that  God  not  only  bids  us  to  worship  him, 
but  also  teaches  us  the  way,  from  which  it  is  not  lawful  to 
depart.  Since,  then,  the  will  of  God  is  known  and  made  plain, 
why  should  Ave  now  dispute  with  men,  who  close  their  eyes 
and  wilfully  turn  aside,  and  deign  not  to  pay  any  regard  to 
God  ?  /  have  icritten  then,  the  Lord  says  :  and  to  give  this 
truth  more  weight,  he  introduces  God  as  the  speaker.  It 
would  have  indeed  been  enough  to  say,  "  God  has  delivered 
to  you  his  law,  why  should  you  not  seek  knowledge  from 
this  law,  rather  than  from  your  own  carnal  judgment  ? 
Why  do  you  wish  thus  licentiously  to  wander,  as  if  no  re- 
straint has  been  put  upon  you  ?"  But  it  is  a  more  emphati- 
cal  way  of  speaking,  when  God  himself  says,  /  have  ivritten 
my  law,  but  they  have  counted  it  as  something  foreign  ;  that  is, 
as  if  it  did  not  belong  to  them. 

But  he  says,  that  he  had  written  to  Israel.  He  does  not 
simply  mention  writing,  but  cays,  that  the  treasm-e  had  been 
deposited  among  the  people  of  Israel ;  and  the  worse  the 
people  were,  because  they  acknowledged  not  that  so  great 
an  honour  had  been  conferred  on  them,  for  this  was  their  pe- 
culiar inheritance.  /  have  written  then  my  law,  "  and  I  have 
not  written  it  indiscriminately  for  all,  but  have  written  it 
for  my  elect  people ;  but  they  have  counted  it  as  something 
extraneous."  For  the  word  may  be  rendered  in  either 
way. 


302  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXII- 

He  adds,  The  (jreat  things,  or,  the  precious,  or,  the  hon- 
ourable things  of  my  law.  Had  he  said,  "  I  have  written 
to  you  my  law,"  the  legislator  himself  was  doubtless  worthy, 
to  whom  all  ought  to  submit  with  the  greatest  reverence,  and 
to  form  their  whole  life  according  to  his  will ;  but  the  Lord 
here  extols  his  own  law  by  a  splendid  eulogy,  and  this  he 
does  to  repress  the  wickedness  of  men,  who  obscure  its  dig- 
nity and  excellency  :  /  have  loritten,  he  says,  the  great  things 
of  my  laxc.  "  How  much  soever  they  may  despise  my  law, 
I  have  yet  set  forth  in  it  a  wisdom  which  ought  to  be  ad- 
mired by  the  whole  world ;  I  have  in  it  brought  to  light  the 
secrets  of  heavenly  wisdom.  Since  then  it  is  so,  Avhat  excuse 
can  there  be  for  the  Israelites  for  despising  my  law  ?"  He 
says,  that  they  counted  it  as  something  foreign,  when  yet  they 
had  been  brought  up  under  its  teaching,  and  the  Lord  had 
called  them  to  himself  from  their  very  infancy.  Since  then 
they  ought  to  have  acknowledged  the  law  of  God  as  a  ban- 
ner, under  which  the  Lord  preserved  them,  he  here  reproaches 
them  for  having  counted  it  as  something  extraneous.  It 
then  follows — 

13.  They  sacrifice  flesh  for  the  13.  Sacriiicia  holocaustorum  mco- 

sacrifices  of  mine  offerings,  and  eat  rum  immolaut  carnem,  et  come- 

it ;  but  the  Lord  acceptethlthera  not ;  dimt :  Jehova  gi-atiim  non  habebit ; 

uow  will  he   remember  their  ini-  nunc    recordabitm-    iniquitatis   eo- 

quity,  and  visit  their  sins:   they  rum,  visitabitscelusipsorum;  ipsiiu 

shall  retm-n  to  Egypt.  iEgyptum  revertantur. 

Interpreters  think  that  the  Israelites  are  here  derided,  be- 
cause they  trusted  in  their  own  ceremonies,  and  that  their 
sacrifices  are  reproachfully  called  flesh.  But  we  must  see 
whether  the  words  of  the  Prophet  contain  something  deeper. 
For  the  word  iniH,  ebeb,  some  rightly  expound,  in  my 
judgment,  as  meaning  "  sacrifices,"  either  burnt  or  roasted  ; 
it  is  a  Avord  of  fom'  letters.  Others  derive  it  from  iHHS  teh, 
which  signifies  "  to  give ;"  and  hence  they  render  thus,  "  sa- 
crifices of  my  gifts ;"  and  this  is  the  more  received  opinion. 
I  view  the  Prophet  here  as  not  only  blaming  the  Israelites 
for  putting  vain  trust  in  their  own  ceremonies,  which  were 
perverted  and  vicious  ;  but  also  as  adducing  something  more 
"•ross,  and  by  which  it  could  be  proved,  that  their  folly  was 


CHAP.  VIII.  13.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  303 

even  ridiculous,  yea,  to  profane  men  and  children.  When 
we  only  read,  "  The  sacrifices  of  my  gifts,"  which  they  ought 
to  have  offered  to  me,  the  sense  seems  frigid  ;  but  when  we 
read,  TTte  sacrifices  of  my  burnt-offerings  !  they  offer  fleshy  the 
meaning  is.  So  palpable  is  their  contempt,  that  they  cannot 
but  be  condemned  even  by  children.  How  so  ?  Because 
for  burnt-offerings  they  offer  flesh  to  me  ;  that  is,  they  fear 
lest  any  portion  of  the  sacrifices  should  be  lost :  and  when 
they  ought,  when  offering  burnt-sacrifices,  to  burn  the  flesh, 
they  keep  it  entire,  that  they  may  stuff  themselves.  Hence 
they  make  a  great  display  in  sacrificing  :  and  yet  it  appears 
to  be  palpable  mockery,  for  they  turn  burnt-offerings  into 
peace-offerings,  that  the  flesh  may  remain  entire  for  them  to 
eat  it.  And  no  doubt,  it  has  ever  been  a  vice  dominant  in 
hypocrites,  to  connect  gain  with  superstitions.  How  much 
soever,  then,  idolaters  may  show  themselves  to  be  wholly 
devoted  to  God,  they  yet  wall  take  care  that  nothing  be  lost. 

The  Proj)het  then  seems  now  to  reprove  this  vice ;  I  yet 
allow  that  the  Israelites  are  blamed  for  thinkiuo"  that  God 
is  pacified  by  sacrifices,  which  were  of  themselves  of  no  value, 
as  we  have  had  before  a  similar  declaration.  But  I  join  both 
views  together — that  they  offered  to  God  vain  sacrifices  with- 
out piety,  and  then,  that  they  offered  flesh  for  burnt-offerings, 
and  thus  fed  themselves  and  cared  not  for  the  worship  of 
God.  The  sacrifices  then  of  my  burnt-offerings  they  offer ;  but 
Avhat  do  they  offer  ?  Flesh.  Nor  does  he  seem  to  have 
mentioned  in  vain  the  word  flesh.  Some  say  that  all  sacri- 
fices are  here  called  flesh  by  way  of  contempt ;  but  there 
seems  rather  to  me  to  be  a  contrast  made  between  burnt- 
sacrifices  and  flesh ;  because  the  people  of  Israel  wished  to 
take  care  of  themselves  and  to  have  a  rich  repast,  when  the 
Lord  required  a  bunit-offering  to  be  presented  to  him  :  and 
he  afterwards  adds,  and  they  eat.  By  the  word  eating,  he 
confirms  what  I  have  already  said,  that  is,  that  he  here  re- 
proves in  the  Israelites  the  vice  of  being  intent  only  on  cram- 
ming themselves,  and  of  only  putting  forth  the  name  of  God 
as  a  vain  pretence,  while  they  were  only  anxious  to  feed 
themselves. 

It  is  the  same  with  the  Papists  of  our  day,  when  they  celo- 


304  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXII. 

brate  their  festivals ;  they  indulge  themselves,  and  think  that 
the  more  they  drink  and  eat,  the  more  God  is  bound  to  them. 
This  is  their  zeal ;  they  eat  flesh,  and  yet  think  that  they 
offer  sacrifices  to  God.  They  oiFer,  then,  their  stomach  to 
God,  when  it  is  thus  well  filled.  Such  are  the  oblations  of 
the  Papists.  So  also  the  Prophet  now  says,  "  They  eat  the 
flesh  which  they  ought  to  have  burned." 

The  Lord,  he  says,  toill  not  accept  them.  Here  again  he 
briefly  shows,  that  while  hypocrites  thus  make  pretences, 
they  are  self-deceived,  and  will  at  last  find  out  how  vainly 
they  have  lied  to  God  and  men  :  "  God  will  not  accept  them." 
He  here  repudiates,  in  the  name  of  God,  their  sacrifices  ;  for 
whatever  they  might  promise  to  themselves,  it  w^as  enough 
that  they  devised  for  themselves  these  modes  of  worship  ;  for 
God  had  never  commanded  a  word  respecting  them. 

It  then  follows.  Now  will  he  remember  their  iniquity,  and  visit 
their  sins.  The  Prophet  denounces  a  future  punishment,  lest 
hypocrites  should  flatter  themselves,  when  God's  fury  is  not 
immediately  kindled  against  them,  for  it  is  usual  with  them  to 
abuse  the  patience  of  God.  Hence  Hosea  now  forewarns 
them,  and  says,  "  Though  God  may  connive  for  a  time,  there 
is  yet  no  reason  for  the  Israelites  to  think  that  they  shall  be 
free  from  punishment :  God  will  at  length,"  he  says,  "  remem- 
ber their  iniquity."  He  uses  a  common  form  of  speaking, 
which  everywhere  occurs  in  Scripture :  God  is  said  to 
remember  when  he  really,  and  as  with  a  stretched-out  hand, 
shows  himself  to  be  an  avenger.  "  The  Lord  now  spares  you ; 
but  he  wiU,  in  a  short  time,  show  how  much  he  abominates 
these  your  impure  sacrifices  :  He  icill  remember,  then,  your 
irdquityr  Visitation  follows  this  remembering,  as  the  effect 
the  cause. 

Tliey  shall  flee,  he  says,  to  Egypt.  The  Prophet,  I  doubt 
not,  intimates  here,  that  vain  would  be  all  the  escapes  which 
the  Israelites  would  seek ;  and  though  God  might  allow  them 
to  flee  to  Egypt,  yet  it  would  be,  he  says,  wdthout  any  ad- 
vantage :  "  Go,  flee  to  Egypt,  but  your  flight  will  be  useless." 
The  Prophet  expressed  this  distinctly,  that  the  people  might 
know  that  they  had  to  do  with  God,  against  whom  they 
could  make  no  defence,  and  that  they  might  no  longer  deceive 


CHAP.  VIII.  14.      COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  305 

themselves  by  foolish  imaginations.  And  though  the  people 
were  blinded  by  so  great  an  obstinacy,  that  this  admonition 
had  no  effect ;  yet  they  were  thus  rendered  the  more  inex- 
cusable.    It  now  follows — 

14.  For  Israel  hath  forgotten  14.  Et  oblitus  est  Israel  factoris  sui, 

his  Maker,  and  buikleth  temples;  et  {eclificavlt  altaria:  Juda  autem  mul- 

and  Judahhathmultipliedfenced  tiplicavit  urbes  munitas:  ego  vero  ignem 

cities :  but  I  will  send  a  fii'e  upon  emittam  (et  emittam  ignem,  ad  verbuni) 

his  cities,  and  it  shall  devour  in  urbes  ejus,  et  comedet  (qui  comedet, 

the  palaces  thereof.  aut^  vorabit)  palatia  ejus. 

Here  the  Prophet  concludes  his  foregoing  observations. 
It  is  indeed  probable  that  he  preached  them  at  various  times  ; 
but,  as  I  have  already  said,  the  heads  of  the  sermons  which 
the  Prophet  delivered  are  collected  in  this  book,  so  that  we 
may  know  what  his  teaching  was.  He  then  discoursed  daily 
on  idolatry,  on  superstitions,  and  on  the  other  corruptions 
which  then  prevailed  among  the  people ;  he  often  repeated 
the  same  threatenings,  but  afterwards  collected  into  certain 
chapters  the  things  which  he  had  spoken.  The  conclusion, 
then,  of  his  former  teaching  was  this,  ih^it  Israel  had  forgotten 
his  Maker,  whilst  for  himself  he  had  been  building  temples. 
He  says,  that  he  forgot  his  Maker  by  building  temples,  be- 
cause he  followed  not  the  directions  of  the  law.  We  hence 
see  that  God  will  have  himself  to  be  known  by  his  word. 
Israel  might  have  objected  and  said,  that  no  such  thing  was 
intended,  when  he  built  temples  in  Dan  and  Bethel,  but  that 
he  wished  by  these  to  retain  the  remembrance  of  God.  But 
the  Prophet  here  shows  that  God  is  not  truly  known,  and 
that  men  do  not  really  remember  him,  except  when  they  wor- 
ship him  according  to  what  the  law  prescribes,  except  when 
they  submit  themselves  wholly  to  his  word,  and  undertake  no- 
thing,and  attempt  nothing,  but  what  he  has  commanded.  What 
then  the  superstitious  say  is  remembrance,  the  Prophet  here 
plainly  testifies  is  forgetfulness.  The  case  is  the  same  at 
this  day,  when  we  blame  the  Papists  for  their  idols ;  their 
excuse  is  this,  that  what  they  set  forth  is  in  pictures  and  statues 
the  image  of  God,  and  that  images,  as  they  say,  are  the  books 
of  the  illiterate.  But  what  does  the  Prophet  answer  here  ? 
That  Israel  forgot  his  Maker.  There  was  an  altar  in  Bethel, 
and  there  Israel  was  wont  to  offer  sacrifices,  and  they  called 
VOL.  I.  u 


306  THE  TWELVE  MENOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXII. 

this  the  worship  of  God ;  but  the  Prophet  shows  that  such 
worship  was  accursed  before  God,  and  that  it  had  no  other 
effect  than  wholly  to  obliterate  the  holy  name  of  God  from 
the  minds  of  men,  so  that  the  whole  of  religion  perished. 

Kemarkable  then  is  this  passage ;  for  the  Prophet  says, 
that  the  people  forgot  God  their  Maker,  when  they  huilt  temples 
for  themselves.  But  what  was  in  the  temples  so  vicious,  as  to 
take  away  the  remembrance  of  God  from  the  world  ?  Even 
because  God  would  have  but  one  temple  and  altar.  If  a 
reason  was  asked,  a  reason  might  indeed  have  been  given ; 
but  the  people  ought  to  have  acquiesced  in  the  command  of 
God.  Though  God  may  not  show  why  he  commands  this 
or  that,  it  is  enough  that  we  ought  to  obey  his  word. 
Now,  then,  it  appears,  that  when  Israel  built  for  himself 
various  temples,  he  departed  from  God,  and  for  this  reason, 
because  he  followed  not  the  rule  of  the  law,  and  kept  not 
himself  within  the  limits  of  the  divine  command.  Hence  it 
was  to  forget  God.  We  now  apprehend  the  object  of  the 
Prophet. 

Though  then  they  were  wont  to  glory  in  their  temples, 
and  there  to  display  their  pomp  and  splendour,  and  proudly 
to  delight  in  their  superstitions,  yet  the  Prophet  says,  that 
they  had  forgotten  their  Creator,  and  for  this  reason  only, 
because  they  had  not  continued  in  his  law.  He  says,  that 
they  had  forgotten  God  their  Maker ;  by  the  word  Maker, 
the  Prophet  alludes  not  to  God  as  the  framer  of  the  world 
and  the  creator  of  men,  but  he  applies  it  to  the  condition  of 
the  people.  For,  as  we  well  know,  the  favour  of  God  had 
been  peculiar  towards  that  people ;  he  had  not  only  made 
them,  as  a  part  of  the  human  race,  but  also  formed  them  a 
people  to  himself.  Since  then  God  had  thus  intended  them 
to  be  devoted  to  him,  the  Prophet  here  increases  and  enhances 
their  sin,  when  he  says,  that  they  obeyed  not  his  word,  but 
followed  their  own  devices  and  depraved  imaginations. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almiglity  God,  that  as  we  have  already  so  often  provoked 
thy  wrath  against  ns,  and  thou  hast  in  thy  paternal  indulgence 
borne  with  us,  or  at  least  chastised  us  so  gently  as  to  spare  us, — 


CHAP.  IX.  1.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  307 

O  grant,  that  we  may  not  become  hardened  in  onr  wickedness, 
but  seasonably  repent,  and  that  we  may  not  be  drawn  away 
after  the  inventions  of  our  flesh,  nor  seek  ways  to  flee  away 
from  thee,  but  come  straight  forward  to  thy  presence,  and  make 
a  humble,  sincere,  and  honest  confession  of  our  sins,  that  thou 
mayest  receive  us  into  favom',  and  that  being  reconciled  to  us, 
thou  mayest  bestow  on  us  a  larger  measure  of  thy  blessings, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


It  remains  for  us  to  consider  the  second  part  of  the  last 
verse  of  the  eighth  chapter,  in  which  the  Prophet  blames  the 
tribe  of  Judah  for  multiplying  fenced  cities.  This  was  not  in 
itself  condemnable  before  God ;  but  the  Prophet  saw  that 
the  confidence  of  the  people  was  transferred  to  these  cities,  as 
it  usually  happens.  Rare  indeed  is  the  example,  when  any 
people  are  well  fortified,  that  they  become  not  implicated  in 
this  charge  of  misplaced  confidence.  But  as  this  vice  in  the 
tribe  of  Judah  was  well  known,  the  Prophet  does  not  here 
complain  without  reason,  that  they  reposed  their  hope  on 
their  fortified  cities,  and  thus  deprived  God  of  his  just  praise. 
And  then  he  denounces  a  punishment.  /  will  send  fire  upon 
his  cities,  and  it  shall  devour  his  palaces.  The  meaning  is,  that 
when  men  turn  away  their  minds  from  God,  and  rely  on 
perishable  things,  a  fatal  destruction  will  at  last  follow ;  for 
the  Lord  will  frustrate  the  hope  of  those  who  thus  deprive 
him  of  his  honour.     This  then  is  the  meaning.     Now  follows 


the  ninth  chapter. 


'&• 


CHAPTER  IX. 


1.  Rejoice  not,  O  Israel,  for  joy  1.  Ne  Iseteris  Israel  super  exul- 

as  other  people  ;  for  thou  hast  gone  a-  tatione  sicuti  populi,  quia  scorta- 

whoring  from  thy  God ;   thou  hast  ta  es  a  Deo  tuo :  dilexisti  mer- 

loved  a  reward  upon  every  corn-floor  cedem  super  omnes  areas  tritici. 

It  is  not  known  at  what  time  the  Prophet  delivered  this  dis- 
course, but  it  is  enough  to  know  that  it  is  directed  against  the 
obstinate  wickedness  of  the  people,  because  they  could  by  no 


308  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXIII. 

means  be  turned  to  repentance,  though  their  defection  was,  at 
the  same  time,  manifest.     He  now  declares  that  God  was  so 
angry,  that  no  success  could  be  hoped  for.     And  this  warn 
ing  ought  to  be  carefully  noticed  ;  for  we  see  that  hypocrites 
as  long  as  God  spares  or  indulges  them,  take  occasion  to  be 
secure  :  they  think  that  they  have  sure  peace  with  God, 
when  he  bears  with  them  even  for  a  short  time  ;  and  further, 
except  the  drawn  sword   appears,   they  are   never   afraid. 
Since,  then,  men  sleep  so  securely  in  their  vices,  especially 
when  the  Lord  treats  them  with  forbearance  and  kindness, 
the  Prophet  here  declares,  that  the  Israelites  had  no  reason 
to  rejoice  for  their  prosperity,  or  to  flatter  themselves  under 
this  cover,  that  the  Lord  had  not  immediately  taken  ven- 
geance on  them ;  for  he  says,  that  though  all  people  under 
heaven  were  prosperous,  yet  Israel  would  be  miserable,  be- 
cause he  had  committed  fornication  against  his  God. 

We  now  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.     Israel,  he 

says,  rejoice  not  thou  ivith  exultations  like  the  people ;  that  is, 

"  Whatever  prosperity  may  happen  to  thee,  though  God  may 

seem  propitious  by  not  afflicting  thee,  but  kindly  bearing 

with  thee,^ — nay,  though  he  may  bountifully  nourish  thee,  and 

may  seem  to  give  thee  many  proofs  of  paternal  favour,  yet 

there  is  no  reason  for  thee  to  felicitate  thyself,  for  vain  will 

be  this  joy,  because  an  unhappy  end  awaits  thee."     Thou 

hast  committed  fornication,  he  says,  against  thy  God.     This 

warning  was  very  necessary.     This  vice,  we  know,  has  ever 

prevailed  among  men,  that  they  are  blind  to  their  sins  as  long 

as  the  Lord  spares  them ;  and  experience,  at  the  present  day, 

most  fully  proves,  that  the  same  disease  still  cleaves  to  our 

marrow.     As  it  is  so,  let  this  passage  of  the  Prophet  awaken 

us,  so  that  we  may  not  rejoice,  though  great  prosperity  may 

smile  on  us ;  but  let  us  rather  inquire,  whether  God  has  a 

just  cause  of  anger  against  us.     Though  he  may  not  openly 

put  forth  his  hand,  though  he  may  not  pursue  us,  we  ought 

yet  to  anticipate  his  wrath  ;  for  it  is  the  proper  office  of  faith, 

not  only  to  find  out  from  present  punishment  that  God  is 

angry,  but  also  to  fear,  on  accoimt  of  any  prevaihng  vices, 

the  punishment  that  is  far  distant.     Let  us  then  learn  to 

examine  ourselves,  and  to  make  a  severe  scrutiny,  even  when 


CHAP.  IX.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  309 

the  Lord  conceals  his  displeasure,  and  visits  us  not  for  our 
sins.  If,  then,  we  have  committed  fornication  against  God, 
all  our  prosperity  ought  to  be  suspected  by  us  ;  for  this  con- 
tempt, in  abusing  God's  blessings,  will  have  to  be  dearly 
bought  by  us. 

The  comparison  here  made  is  also  of  great  weight.  As 
other  people,  says  the  Prophet.  He  means,  that  though  God 
might  pardon  heathen  nations,  yet  he  would  punish  Israel, 
for  less  excusable  was  his  apostacy  and  rebellion  in  having 
committed  fornication  against  his  God.  That  other  nations 
wandered  in  their  errors,  was  no  wonder ;  but  that  Israel 
should  have  thus  cast  off  the  yoke,  and  then  denied  his 
God,  that  he  should  have  broken  and  violated  the  fidelity 
of  sacred  marriage, — all  this  was  quite  monstrous.  It  is 
then  no  wonder  that  God  here  declares,  by  the  mouth  of  his 
Prophet,  that  though  he  spared  other  people,  he  would  yet 
inflict  just  punishment  on  Israel. 

He  then  adds,  T/iou  hast  loved  a  reward  upon  eiiery  corn- 
jloor.  He  pursues  the  same  metaphor,  that  Israel  had  com- 
mitted fornication  like  an  unchaste  and  perfidious  woman. 
Hence  he  says,  that  they  were  like  harlots,  who  are  so  en- 
ticed by  gain,  that  they  are  not  ashamed  of  their  lewdness. 
He  said  yesterday,  that  the  people  had  hired  lovers ;  but 
now  he  says,  that  they  were  led  astray  by  the  hope  of  reward. 
These  things  are  apparently  contradictory  ;  but  their  different 
aspect  is  to  be  noticed.  Israel  hired  for  himself  lovers,  Avhen 
he  purchased,  with  a  large  sum  of  money,  a  confederacy  with 
the  Assyrians  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  when  he  worshipped 
false  gods  with  the  hope  of  gain,  he  was  like  strumpets,  who 
prostitute  their  body  to  all  kinds  of  filthiness,  when  any  re- 
wards entice  them. 

But  a  question  may  be  here  moved,  Why  does  the  Pro- 
phet say  that  the  reward  is  meretricious,  when  a  plenty  of 
corn  is  sought  for?  for  he  reproaches  the  Israelites  for  no 
other  thing,  but  that  they  wished  their  floors  to  be  filled  with 
wheat.  This  seems  not  indeed  to  be  in  itself  worthy  of 
reproof,  for  who  of  us  does  not  desire  a  fruitful  increase  of 
corn  and  wine  ?  Nay,  since  the  Lord,  among  other  blessings, 
promises  to  give  abundance  of  provision,  it  is  certainly  law- 
ful to  ask  by  supplications  and  prayers  what  he  promises. 


310  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIII. 

But  the  Prophet  calls  it  a  wicked  reward,  when  what  God 
has  promised  to  give  is  sought  from  idols.  When  therefore 
we  depart  from  the  one  true  God,  and  devise  for  ourselves 
new  gods  to  nourish  us  and  supply  our  food  and  raiment,  we 
are  like  strumpetsj  who  choose  by  lewdness  to  gain  support, 
rather  than  to  receive  it  from  their  own  husbands.  This  is 
then  to  be  like  a  woman  whom  her  husband  treats  bountifully, 
and  she  casts  her  eyes  on  others,  and  seeks  a  filthy  reward 
from  adulterers.  Such  are  idolaters.  For  God  offers  him- 
self freely  to  us,  and  testifies  that  he  will  perform  the  part  of 
a  father  and  preserver ;  but  the  greater  part,  despising  the 
blessing  of  God,  flee  elsewhere,  and  invent  for  themselves 
false  gods,  as  we  see  to  be  done  under  the  Papacy :  for  who 
are  the  patrons  (jiutricios — nourishers)  they  implore,  when 
either  drought  or  any  other  adverse  season  threatens  sterility 
and  want  ?  They  have  an  innumerable  multitude  of  gods  to 
whom  they  flee.  They  are  then  strumpets  who  hunt  for 
gain  from  adulterers  ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  God  freely 
promises  to  be  a  husband  to  them,  and  to  take  care  that 
nothing  should  be  wanting.  Since,  then,  they  are  not  satis- 
fied with  the  blessing  of  God  alone,  it  is  a  meretricious  lust, 
which  is  insatiable,  and  in  itself  filthy  and  disgraceful. 

We  now  then  see  what  the  Prophet  repudiates  in  the 
people  of  Israel,  and  that  is.  They  hoped  for  a  larger  abun- 
dance of  corn  from  their  idols  than  from  the  true  God,  as  was 
the  case  with  the  idolaters  mentioned  by  Jeremiah,  '  when  we 
served,'  they  said,  '  the  queen  of  heaven,  we  abounded  in 
wine  and  corn,'  (Jer.  xliv.  17.)  They  compared  God  with 
idols,  and  denied  that  they  were  so  well  and  so  sumptuously 
provided  for  when  they  worshipped  God  alone.  Since,  then, 
idolaters  give  honour  to  fictitious  gods,  so  as  to  think  them 
to  be  more  liberal  to  them  than  the  true  God,  this  is  the 
reason  that  the  Prophet  now  so  severely  blames  Israel,  when 
he  says  that  they  loved  a  meretricious  reward  on  all  the  floors 
of  wheat.     It  then  follows — 

2.  The  floor  and  the  wine-press  shall  2.  Area  et  torcular  non 
not  feed  them ;  and  the  new  wine  pascet  eos,  et  mustum  mentie- 
shall  fail  in  her.^  tur  in  ea. 

'  '  And  the  choice  wine  shall  deceive  them.' — Newcome.    The  true 


CHAP.  IX.  2.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  311 

God  now  denounces  such  a  punishment  as  the  Israelites 
deserved.  They  had  been  drawn  away,  as  we  have  said, 
from  the  pure  worship  of  God  by  allurements ;  they  hoped 
for  more  profit  from  superstitions.  Hence  God  shows,  that 
he  would  on  this  account  punish  them  by  taking  away  from 
them  their  wine  and  corn,  as  we  have  already  noticed  in 
chap.  ii. :  for  it  is  the  only  way  by  which  the  Lord  restores 
men  to  a  sane  mind,  or  at  least  renders  them  inexcusable, 
to  deprive  them  of  his  blessings.  The  harlot,  as  long  as 
gain  is  to  be  had,  as  long  as  she  surpasses  all  honest  and 
chaste  matrons  in  her  dress  and  mode  of  living,  is  pleased  with 
herself  and  blinded  by  her  own  splendour ;  but  when  she  is 
reduced  to  extreme  want,  when  she  sees  herself  to  be  the 
laughing-stock  of  all,  and  when  she  drags  a  miserable  life  in 
poverty,  she  then  sighs  and  owns  how  infatuated  she  had 
been  in  leaving  her  husband.  So  the  Lord  now  declares  by 
his  Prophet,  that  he  would  thus  deal  with  the  Israelites, 
that  they  might  no  longer  please  themselves  with  such  de- 
lusions. 

Hence  he  says,  Tlie  jloor  and  the  wine-press  shall  not  feed 
them,  and  the  new  wine  shall  disappoint  them,  {mentietur  illis — 
shall  lie  to  them ;) — that  is,  the  vineyards  shall  not  answer 
their  expectation.  It  is  the  same  as  though  he  said,  "  As  these 
men  regard  only  their  stomach,  as  they  deem  nothing  of  any 
moment  but  provision,  therefore  the  floor  and  the  wine-press 
shall  not  feed  them;  I  will  deprive  them  of  their  support,  that 
they  may  understand  that  they  in  vain  worship  false  gods." 
Let  us  take  a  common  similitude :  We  see  some  boys  so  dis- 
ingenuous as  not  to  be  moved  either  by  disgrace  or  even  by 
stripes  ;  but  as  they  are  subject  to  the  cravings  of  appetite, 
when  the  father  deprives  them  of  bread,  they  nearly  lose  all 
hope.  Stripes  do  no  good,  all  warnings  are  slighted ;  but 
when  the  boy  who  loves  excess  sees  that  bread  is  denied 
him,  he  finds  out  that  his  father's  displeasure  ought  to  be 
feared.     Thus  God  corrects  men  addicted  to  excessive  indul- 

readiiig  no  doubt  is  D3,  'them,'  and  not  n3,  '  her,'  confirmed  by  all  the 
early  versions  and  by  several  of  the  best  MSS.,  and  is  adopted  by  Ilurs- 
ley  as  well  as  Newcome.  And  so  does  Calvin  in  his  exposition  take  the 
word. — Ed. 


312  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIII. 

gence ;  for  they  are  so  insensible,  that  no  other  remedy  can 
do  them  any  good. 

We  now,  then,  apprehend  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 
He  first  reproaches  the  Israelites  for  loving  a  reward,  for 
hastening  after  fictitious  gods,  that  they  might  glut  them- 
selves with  great  abundance  of  things :  but  when  the  Lord 
eaw^  that  they  had  become  stupified  in  their  fatness,  he 
said,  "  I  will  deprive  them  of  all  their  provisions ;  neither 
wine  nor  wheat  shall  be  given  them  ;  this  want  will  at  length 
drive  them  to  repentance."  We  hence  see  how  the  Lord  deals 
with  men  according  to  their  disposition.  And  his  manner 
of  speaking  ought  to  be  noticed ;  he  says,  that  neither  the 
floor  nor  the  wine-press  shall  feed  them.  He  does  not  say, 
that  the  fields  shall  be  barren ;  he  does  not  say,  that  he 
would  send  hail  or  storm ;  but  he  says,  that  neither  the  floor 
nor  the  wine-press  shall  feed  them ;  and  further,  that  the 
new  wine  shall  disappoint  them ;  that  is,  when  they  shall 
think  themselves  to  be  blessed  with  all  plenty,  when  the 
harvest  shall  appear  abundant,  and  when  they  shall  have 
already,  by  anticipation,  swallowed  up  the  large  produce 
of  their  vineyards,  all  this  shall  come  to  nothing ;  for  neither 
the  floor  nor  the  wine-press  shall  feed  them ;  nay,  the  very 
wine  which  they  thought  to  have  been  prepared  shall  disap- 
point them.     It  follows — 

3.  They  shall  not  dwell  in  the  3.  Non  habitabunt  in  terra  Jeho- 

Lord's  land ;  but  Epbraim  shall  vse,  et  revertetur  Ephraim  in  iEgyp- 

return  to  Egypt,  and  they  shall  turn,  et  in  Assyria  immundum  come- 

eat  unclean  things  in  Assyria.  dent. 

The  Prophet  proclaims  here  a  heavier  punishment — that 
the  Lord  would  drive  them  into  exile.  It  was  indeed  a 
dreadful  repudiation,  when  they  were  deprived  of  the  land 
of  Canaan,  which  was  the  Lord's  rest,  as  it  is  called  in  the 
Psalms,  (Ps.  cxxxii.  14.)  While  they  dwelt  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  they  lived  as  it  were  in  the  habitations  of  God,  and 
could  have  a  sure  hope  that  he  would  be  a  father  to  them : 
but  when  they  were  thence  expelled,  the  Lord  testified  that 
he  regarded  them  as  aliens ;  it  was  the  same  as  when  a  father 
disinherits  his  son.  The  Prophet  now  threatens  them  not 
only  with  the  want  of  food,  but  also  with  repudiation,  which 


CHAP.  IX.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  313 

was  far  more  grievous — Tliey  shall  not  dwell,  he  says,  in  the 
Lord's  land. 

There  is  an  elegant  play  on  words  in  the  verbs  here  used ; 
"l^t^S  ishebu,  and  l^J^I,  usheb ;  the  one  is  from  '2'^'^^  isheb,  and 
the  other  from  y\l*^,  shub.  'They  shall  not  dwell  in  the 
Lord's  land;  but  Ephraim  shall  return  into  Egypt :'  and  the 
other  circumstance  is  still  more  dreadful.  In  Assyria  they 
shall  eat  what  is  unclean ;  for  it  was  the  same  as  if  the  Lord 
intended  to  blend  that  holy  people  with  the  profane  Gentiles, 
so  that  there  should  be  afterwards  no  difference ;  for  the  un- 
cleanness  of  which  the  Prophet  speaks  would  have  the  effect 
of  destroying  the  distinction  which  the  adoption  of  God  made 
between  that  people  and  the  profane  nations.  It  was  indeed 
by  badges  that  the  Lord  retained  the  people  of  Israel,  when 
he  ordered  them  to  abstain  from  unclean  meats  :  but  when 
they  differed  nothing,  as  to  common  food,  from  the  Gentiles, 
it  was  evident  that  they  were  rejected  by  God,  and  that  the 
holiness  which  belonged  to  them  through  the  free  covenant 
of  God  was  obliterated.  They  shall  eat,  then,  what  is  unclean 
in  Assyria  ;  that  is,  "  They  shall  not  now  be  under  my  care 
and  protection ;  they  shall  live  according  to  their  own  will, 
as  the  other  nations.  I  have  hitherto  preserved  them  under 
some  restraint ;  but  now,  as  they  will  not  bear  to  live  under 
my  law,  they  shall  have  their  own  liberty,  and  shall  be  pro- 
fane like  the  rest  of  the  world,  so  that  they  shall  become 
involved  in  all  the  defilements  and  pollutions  of  the  Gentiles." 
This  is  the  meaning. 

And  now  we  ought  to  consider,  whether  it  be  right,  when 
we  are  among  idolaters,  to  conform  to  the  rites  approved  by 
them.  This  place,  no  doubt,  as  other  places,  most  clearly 
shows,  that  nothing  more  grievous  can  happen  to  us  than  the 
doing  away  of  all  difference  between  us  and  the  profane  de- 
spisers  of  God,  even  in  the  outward  manner  of  living.  Had 
the  Prophet  said,  "  The  Israelites  shall  now  be  hungry  in  a 
far  country ; — the  Lord  has  hitherto  fed  them  with  plenty, 
for  he  has  performed  what  he  had  formerly  promised  by 
Moses  ;  this  land  has  in  every  way  been  blessed,  and  has  sup- 
plied us  with  great  abundance  of  wine,  wheat,  and  oil ;  yea, 
honey  has  flowed  like  water;  but  they  shall  now  be  con- 


314  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXIII. 

strained  to  pine  away  with  want  among  their  enemies :" — Had 
the  Prophet  said  this,  it  would  have  been  a  grievous  and 
severe  denunciation ;  but  now  he  fills  them,  as  it  has  been 
already  said,  with  much  greater  horror,  for  he  says,  *  They 
shall  eat  lohat  is  tmclean.''  There  seemed  to  be  some  great 
importance  belonging  to  the  external  rite  :  but  the  outward 
profession  was  the  badge  of  divine  adoption.  When  there- 
fore the  people  loosened  the  reins  and  ate  indiscriminately 
any  meat,  and  made  no  choice  according  to  the  directions  of 
the  law,  then  the  distinction  was  removed,  so  that  they  ceased 
to  be  the  people  of  God.  It  is  the  same  also,  at  this  day, 
with  those  who  turn  aside  from  a  sincere  profession  of  their 
faith  and  associate  with  the  Papists ;  they  renounce,  as  far 
as  they  can,  the  favour  of  God,  and  abandon  themselves  to 
the  will  of  Satan. 

Let  us  then  know  that  it  is  a  dreadful  judgment  of  God, 
when  we  are  not  allowed  to  profess  our  faith  by  outward 
worship ;  and  when  the  ungodly  so  rule,  as  to  put  us  under 
the  necessity  of  which  the  Prophet  here  speaks,  even  of  eat- 
ing unclean  things,  that  is,  of  being  implicated  in  their  profane 
superstitions.  It  is  then  a  favour,  to  be  highly  valued,  when 
we  are  permitted  to  abstain  from  all  defilements  and  to  wor- 
ship God  purely,  so  that  no  one  may  contaminate  himself  by 
dissimulation :  but  when  we  are  compelled,  under  the  tyranny 
of  the  ungodly,  to  conform  to  impure  superstitions,  it  is  a 
sign  of  the  dreadful  judgment  of  God;  and  there  is  nothing 
by  which  any  one  can  excuse  himself  in  this  respect  or  ex- 
tenuate his  fault,  as  many  do,  whom  yet  conscience  bites 
within,  though  they  deem  it  sufl&cient  to  spread  forth  their 
own  excuses  before  the  eyes  of  men.  But  there  is  nothing 
by  which  such  men  can  either  flatter  themselves,  or  dazzle 
the  eyes  of  the  simple ;  for  it  is  an  extreme  reproach,  when 
people,  who  ought  to  be  sacred  to  God  and  to  profess  out- 
wardly his  pure  woi'ship,  suffer  themselves  to  be  polluted 
with  unclean  food.     It  foUows — 

4.  They  shall  not  offer  wine-  4.  Non  libabunt  .Tehovse  vinum,  et 

o^enw^'s  to  the  Lord,  neither  shall  non   dulcia   eriuit  illi  libamina   {vel, 

they  be  pleasing  unto  him  :  their  ipsi  non  eruut  grati  ct  suaves  Domino) 

sacrifices  shall  be  unto  them  as  sacrificia  ipsorum  sicut  panis  lugenti- 

the  bread  of  mourners ;   all  that  um  ipsis  :  quicunque  comederint  pol- 


CHAP.  IX.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  315 

eat  thereof  shall  be  polluted  :  for  luentur;  quia  panisipsorum  pro  aiiima 
theii"  bread  for  their  soul  shall  not  ipsorum,  non  veniet  in  domum  Je- 
come  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,     hovte. 

It  Is  uncertain  whether  the  Prophet  testifies  here,  that  they 
should  lose  their  labour  and  their  oil  (as  they  say)  when  they 
sacrificed  to  God  ;  or  whether  he  declares  what  would  be  the 
case  when  they  had  been  driven  into  exile.  Both  views 
seem  probable.  Now,  if  we  refer  the  words  of  the  Prophet 
to  the  time  of  exile,  they  seem  not  unsuitable,  "  They  shall  not 
then  pour  out  icine  to  Jehovah,  and  their  sacrifices  shall  not 
be  acceptable  to  him ;  no  oblation  shall  come  any  more  to 
the  temple  of  Jehovah."  And  thus  many  understand  the 
passage ;  yet  the  former  sense  is  the  most  appropriate,  as  it 
may  be  easily  gathered  from  the  context.  The  Prophet  says, 
that  they  shall  not  pour  out  wine  to  Jehovah,  and  that  their 
sacrifices  shall  not  be  acceptable  to  him ;  and  then  he  adds. 
All  that  eat  shall  be  polluted.  It  seems  not  by  any  means 
applicable  to  exiles,  that  they  should  vainly  endeavour  to 
pour  out  Avine  to  God  ;  for  their  religion  forbade  them  to  do 
such  a  thing.  Further,  when  he  says.  Their  sacrifices  shall 
be  to  them  as  the  bread  of  mourners^ — this  must  also  be  under- 
stood of  sacrifices,  which  they  were  wont  daily  to  offer  to 
God  ;  for  in  exile  (as  it  has  been  said)  it  was  not  lawful  for 
them  to  make  any  offering,  nor  had  they  there  an  altar  or  a 
sanctuary. 

What,  then,  is  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  when  he  says, 
"  All  that  eat  of  their  sacrifices  shall  be  polluted  ?"  We 
must  know  that  the  Prophet  speaks  here  of  the  intermediate 
time,  as  though  he  said,  "  What  the  Israelites  now  sacrifice  is 
without  any  advantage,  and  God  is  not  pacified  with  these 
trifles,  for  they  bring  polluted  hands,  they  change  not  their 
minds,  they  obtrude  their  sacrifices  on  God,  but  they  them- 
selves first  pollute  them."  Of  this  same  doctrine  we  have 
already  often  treated  ;  I  shall  not  then  dwell  on  it  now ;  but 
it  is  enough  to  point  out  the  design  of  the  Prophet,  which 
was  to  show  that  the  Israelites  were  seeking  in  vain  to  pacify 
God  by  their  ceremonies,  for  they  were  vain  expiations  which 
God  did  not  regard,  but  deemed  as  worthless. 

They  shall  not  then  pour  out  wine  to  God.      There  is  an 


316  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXIII. 

important  meaning  in  this  sentence  ;  for  it  is  certain  that  as 
long  as  the  Israelites  lived  in  their  country,  they  were  sedulous 
enough  in  the  performance  of  outward  worship,  and  that 
drink-offerings  were  not  neglected  by  them.  Since,  then,  this 
custom  prevailed  among  them,  the  Prophet  must  be  speaking 
here  only  of  the  effect,  and  says,  that  they  exercised  them- 
selves in  vain  in  their  frivolous  worship,  for  they  poured  not 
out  wine  to  Jehovah,  that  is,  their  libation  did  not  come  to 
Jehovah ;  and  he  explains  himself  afterwards,  when  he  says, 
Their  drink-offerings  shall  not  he  pleasant  to  him.  However 
much,  then,  the  Israelites  might  labour,  the  Prophet  says  that 
their  labour  would  be  fruitless,  for  the  Lord  would  reject 
whatever  they  did.  He  then  adds  what  is  to  the  same  pur- 
pose. Their  sacrifices  shall  he  unto  them  as  the  bread  of  mourners  ; 
all  that  eat  shall  be  polluted;  that  is,  all  their  sacrifices  are 
polluted.  The  Prophet  now  shows  more  clearly,  not  that 
there  would  be  no  sacrifices,  but  that  they  would  be  in  vain, 
because  the  Lord  would  abominate  them,  and  would  repudiate 
all  the  masks  which  they  would  put  on  in  his  presence,  and 
under  the  cover  of  which  they  Avithdrew  themselves  from  their 
allegiance  to  him.  The  reason  is,  because  when  any  one 
unclean  touches  pure  flesh,  he  pollutes  it  by  his  uncleanness. 
God  then  must  necessarily  abominate  whatever  impure  men 
offer,  unless  they  seek  to  purify  their  minds.  And  this 
principle  has  ever  prevailed  among  the  very  blind, — 

An  impious  right  hand  does  not  rightly  worship  the  celestials. 
(Non  bene  coelestes  impia  dextra  colit.) 

These  words,  which  spread  everywhere,  have  been  witnesses 
of  the  common  feeling ;  for  the  Lord  intended  to  draw  out 
men,  as  it  were,  from  their  coverts,  when  he  forced  them  to 
make  such  a  confession.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  Prophet 
now  says  (as  this  truth  is  also  often  taught  in  Scripture)  that 
the  sacrifices  of  the  people,  who  continued  in  their  own  per- 
fidy, would  be  like  the  bread  of  mourners ;  so  Isaiah  says, 
'  When  one  kills  an  ox,  it  is  the  same  as  if  he  slew  a  man  ; 
when  one  sacrifices  a  lamb,  it  is  the  same  as  if  he  killed  a 
dog,'  (Isaiah  Ixvi.  3.)  He  compares  sacrifices  to  murders ; 
nor  is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  for  it  is  a  more  atrocious  crime 


CHAP.  IX.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  317 

to  abuse  the  sacred  name  of  God  than  to  kill  a  man,  and  this 
is  what  ungodly  men  do. 

Then  he  says,  "  If  any  one  eats,  he  will  be  polluted."  He 
enlarges  on  what  he  said  before,  and  says,  that  if  any  one 
clean  should  come,  he  would  be  polluted  by  being  only  in 
company  with  them.  We  now  see  how  sharply  the  Prophet 
here  arouses  hypocrites,  that  they  might  now  cease  to  pro- 
mise to  themselves  what  they  were  wont  to  do,  and  that  is, 
that  God  would  be  propitious  to  them  while  they  pacified 
him  with  their  vain  things.  "  By  no  means,"  he  says  ;  "  nay, 
there  is  so  much  defilement  in  your  sacrifices.,  that  they  even 
contaminate  others  who  come,  being  themselves  clean." 

But  it  may  be  asked.  Can  the  impiety  of  others  pollute  us, 
when  we  afford  no  proof  of  companionship,  nor  by  dissimula- 
tion manifest  any  consent  ?  when  we  then  abstain  from  all 
superstition,  does  society  alone  contaminate  us  ?  The  answer 
is  easy  :  The  Prophet  does  not  avowedly  discuss  here  how 
another's  impiety  may  contaminate  men  who  are  clean ;  but 
his  object  was  to  show  in  strong  language  how  much  God 
abhors  the  ungodly,  and  that  not  only  he  is  not  pacified  with 
their  sacrifices,  but  also  holds  them  as  the  greatest  abomina- 
tions. But  with  regard  to  this  question,  it  is  certain  that 
we  become  polluted  as  soon  as  we  consent  to  profane  super- 
stitions :  yet  when  ungodly  men  administer  either  holy  bap- 
tism or  the  holy  supper,  we  are  not  polluted  by  fellowship 
with  them,  for  the  deed  itself  has  nothing  vicious  in  it.  Then 
the  act  only  does  not  pollute  us,  nor  the  hidden  and  inward 
impiety  of  men.  This  is  true  :  but  we  are  to  understand  for 
w^hat  purpose  the  Prophet  said,  that  all  who  eat  of  their 
sacrifices  shall  be  polluted. 

He  proceeds  with  the  same  subject,  Their  bread  for  their 
soul,  &c.  This  clause,  "  for  their  soul,"  may  be  explained  in 
two  ways.  In  saying.  Bread  for  their  soul,  the  Prophet 
spake  by  way  of  contempt ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Let  them 
serve  themselves  and  their  stomach  with  bread,  and  no  more 
offer  it  to  God ;  let  them  then  satiate  themselves  with  bread,  for 
they  cannot  consecrate  to  God  their  bread,  when  they  them- 
selves are  unclean."  But  I  am  inclined  to  follow  what  has 
been  more  approved,  that  bread  for  their  soul  shall  not  come 


318  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIII. 

to  the  house  of  the  Lord ;  for  men,  we  know,  are  then  wont 
to  offer  their  sacrifices  to  God  to  reconcile  themselves  to  him, 
or  at  least  to  present  emblems  of  their  expiation  :  hence  the 
Prophet  says,  that  bread  is  offered  for  the  soul  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  law ;  but  that  the  ungodly  could  not 
bring  bread  into  the  house  of  Jehovah,  because  the  Lord  ex- 
cludes them,  as  it  were,  by  an  interdict.  Not  that  hypocrites 
keep  away,  for  we  see  how  boldly  they  thrust  themselves  into 
the  temple ;  nay,  they  would  occupy  the  first  place  ;  but  the 
Lord  yet  forbids  them  to  come  to  his  presence.  This  is  the 
reason  why  he  says,  that  the  bread  of  the  ungodly  shall  not 
come  before  God,  though  in  appearance  their  oblations  glitter 
before  men.     It  follows — 

5.  What  will  ye  do  in  the  solemn  day,  6.  Quid  facietis  in  die  solen- 
and  in  the  day  of  the  feast  of  the  Lord  ?    ni  ?  in  die  festivitatis  Jehovas  ? 

The  Prophet  here  alludes  again  to  their  exile,  and  shows 
how  deplorable  the  condition  of  the  people  would  be,  when 
deprived  of  all  their  sacrifices.  It  is  indeed  true  that  the 
Israelites,  when  they  changed  the  place  of  the  temple,  and 
when  new  and  spurious  rites  were  introduced  by  Jeroboam, 
became  wholly  rejected,  so  that  from  that  time  no  sacrifice 
pleased  God,  for  they  sacrificed  to  idols  and  demons  and  not 
to  God,  as  it  is  elsewhere  stated,  (Deut.  xxxii.  17  ;)  but  yet, 
as  they  had  some  kind  of  divine  worship,  as  circumcision  re- 
mained, and  sacrifices  were  offered,  as  it  were,  by  Moses' 
command,  and  they  boasted  themselves  to  be  the  children  of 
Abraham  and  lived  in  the  holy  land,  they  were  satisfied  with 
their  condition.  But  when  in  exile  they  saw  no  sign  of  God's 
favour,  when  they  were  deprived  of  the  temple  and  altar  and 
all  sacrifices,  when  on  every  side  mere  solitude  and  waste  met 
their  eyes,  when  God  thus  manifested  that  he  was  far  removed 
from  them,  great  sorrow  must  have  entered  their  hearts. 
Hence  the  Prophet  says,  What  will  ye  do  in  the  solemn  day  ? 

And  he  expressly  mentions  solemn  and  festal-days.  "  If 
the  morning  and  the  evening  oblation,  which  is  wont  to  be 
made,  will  not  be  remembered,  and  if  the  other  sacrifices  will 
not  occur  to  your  minds,  what  will  you  do  when  the  festal- 
days  will  come  ?  for  the  Lord  will  then  show  that  he  has 


CHAP.  IX.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  319 

nothing  to  do  with  you."  For  the  trumpets  sounded  on  the 
festivals,  that  the  people  might  come  from  the  whole  land 
into  the  temple ;  and  it  was,  as  it  were,  the  voice  of  God, 
sounding  from  heaven :  but  when  the  feast-days  were  for- 
gotten, when  there  were  no  holy  assemblies,  it  was  the  same 
as  if  the  Lord,  by  commanding  silence,  had  proved  that  he 
no  longer  cared  for  the  people.  That  the  Israelites  then 
might  not  think  that  exile  only  was  threatened  to  them,  the 
Prophet  here  shows  that  something  worse  was  connected  with 
it,  and  that  was,  that  the  Lord  would  wholly  forsake  them, 
and  that  there  Avould  exist  no  token  of  his  presence,  as 
though  they  were  cut  off  from  the  Church.  What  then  will 
ye  do  on  the  solemn  day,  on  the  day  of  Jehovah's  festivity  ? 
That  is,  "  Do  you  think  that  something  of  an  ordinary  kind 
is  denounced  on  you  when  I  speak  of  exile  ?  The  Lord  will 
indeed  take  away  the  whole  of  your  worship,  and  will  deprive 
you  of  all  the  evidences  of  his  presence.  What  then  will  you 
do  ?  But  if  a  brutish  stupor  should  so  occupy  your  minds, 
that  this  should  not  recm*  to  your  thoughts  daily,  the  solemn 
and  festal-days  will  at  least  constrain  you  to  think  how  dread- 
ful it  is,  that  you  have  nothing  remaining  among  you,  which 
may  afford  a  hope  of  God's  favour."  We  now  apprehend 
the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

We  hence  learn  what  I  have  said  before,  that  nothing 
worse  can  happen  to  us  in  this  world,  than  to  be  scattered 
without  any  order,  when  no  outward  evidence  appears  by 
which  the  Lord  collects  us  to  himself.  It  would  therefore  be 
better  for  us  to  be  deprived  of  meat  and  drink,  and  to  go 
naked,  and  to  perish  at  last  through  want,  than  that  the  ordi- 
nances of  religion,  {exercitia  pietatis — exercises  of  religion,) 
by  which  the  Lord  holds  us,  as  it  were,  in  his  own  bosom, 
should  be  taken  away  from  us.  When  therefore  we  are  de- 
prived of  these  aids,  and  God  thus  hides  his  face  from  us, 
and  mournful  waste  discovers  to  us  dread  on  every  side,  it  is 
an  extreme  calamity,  an  evidence  of  the  dreadfid  judgment  of 
God.  Let  us  then  learn,  when  our  flesh  is  touched,  when 
sterility  or  some  other  evil  impends  over  us — ^let  us  learn  to 
dread  this  deprivation  still  more,  and  to  fear  lest  the  Lord 
should  deprive  us  of  our  festal-days  ;  that  is,  take  away  all 


320  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXIV. 

the  aids  (adminicula — props,  supports)  of  religion  by  which 
he  holds  us  together  in  his  house,  and  shows  us  to  be  a  part 
of  his  Church.  This  then,  in  the  last  place,  ought  to  be  noticed : 
what  remains  we  shall  consider  in  our  next  lecture. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as  thou  drawest  us  at  this 
time  to  thyself  by  so  many  chastisements,  while  we  are  yet  in- 
sensible, through  the  slothfuluess  and  the  indolence  of  our  flesh, 
— O  grant,  that  Satan  may  not  thus  perpetually  harden  and  fasci- 
nate us ;  but  that  we,  being  at  length  awakened,  may  feel  our  evils, 
and  be  not  merely  affected  by  outward  punishments,  but  rouse 
ourselves,  and  feel  how  grievously  we  have  in  various  ways 
offended  thee,  so  that  we  may  return  to  thee  with  real  sorrow, 
and  so  abhor  ourselves,  that  we  may  seek  in  thee  every  delight, 
until  we  at  length  offer  to  thee  a  pleasing  and  acceptable  sacri- 
fice, by  dedicating  ourselves  and  all  we  have  to  thee,  in  sincerity 
and  truth,  through  Jesus  Chi-ist  our  Lord.    Amen. 


6.  For,  lo,  they  are  gone,  because  6.  Quia  ecce  abierunt  avastatione 

of  destruction :  Egypt  shall  gather  (yel^  propter  vastationem  ;)  ^gyp- 

them  up,  Memphis  shall  bury  them  :  tus  colliget  eos,  Memphis  sepeliet 

the  pleasant  places  for  theii'  silver,  eos  :    desiderabile    argenti    eorum 

nettles  shall  possess  them :  thorns  hgereditabit  urtica  ;  spina  in  taber- 

shall  be  in  their  tabernacles.  naculis  eorum. 

The  Prophet  confirms  here  what  is  contained  in  the  last 
verse,  that  is,  that  the  Israelites  would  at  length  find  that 
the  Prophets  had  not  in  vain  threatened  them,  though  they 
at  the  time  heedlessly  despised  the  judgment  of  God.  Lo,  he 
says,  they  have  departed:  he  speaks  of  the  exile  as  if  it  had 
already  taken  place,  when  it  was  only  nigh  at  hand.  The 
Israelites  were  then  dwelling  in  their  own  country,  he  yet 
speaks  of  them  as  having  already  gone  away.  But  he  sets 
forth  the  certainty  of  the  prediction  by  this  manner  of  speak- 
ing, that  profane  men  might  cease  to  promise  themselves  im- 
punity when  God  summons  them  to  his  tribunal:  yea,  he 
shows  that  he  was  already  armed  to  take  vengeance  :  "  They 
have  gone  away,"  he  says,  "  on  account  of  desolation."  Then 
he  adds,  Egypt  shall  gather  them.  To  gather  here  is  to  be  taken 
in  a  bad  sense  ;  for  it  means  the  same  as  troiisser  (to  pack 


CHAP.  IX.  6.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  32 1 

up,  to  bundle)  in  our  language ;  and  it  is  often  taken  in  this 
sense  by  the  Prophets,  when  mention  is  made  of  destruction : 
and  this  appears  still  clearer  from  the  word,  burying,  which 
the  Prophet  immediately  subjoins.  J^gypt  shall  gather  them  : 
He  certainly  speaks  not  of  a  kind  retreat,  but  declares  that 
Egypt  would  be  a  sepulchre  to  them,  in  which  they  should 
remain  shut  up  :  and  thus  he  takes  away  from  them  any  hope 
of  deliverance.  The  Israelites  expected  that  they  should  find 
shelter  for  a  season  in  Egypt,  when  they  bent  their  course 
there  for  fear  of  their  enemies.  The  Prophet  now  shows  that 
they  would  be  disappointed  in  dreaming  of  a  return,  for  they 
would  remain  there  gathered  up ;  that  is,  a  free  return,  as 
they  imagined,  would  not  be  allowed  them,  but  a  perpetual 
habitation,  yea,  a  grave. 

'  Egypt  will  gather  them,  Memphis  will  bury  them.' 
There  is  a  striking  correspondence  between  the  words  here 
used,  lip,  kober,  and  V^p,  kobcts.  By  the  first  the  Prophet 
signifies  that  they  should  be  shut  up,  so  as  to  be,  as  it  were, 
bound  and  fixed  to  a  place ;  and  then  he  adds,  that  they 
should  be  buried. 

He  then  says,  The  desirable  place  of  their  silver  the  nettle 
shall  possess,  as  by  hereditary  right,  and  the  thorn,  §'c. ;  some 
render  it  paliurus;  but  I  follow  what  is  more  received,  the  thorn 
then  shall  be  in  their  tabernacles.  The  meaning  is,  that  the 
Israelites  would  be  exiles  and  sojourners,  not  for  a  short  time, 
but  that  their  exile  would  be  so  long  that  their  land  would 
become  waste  and  uncultivated ;  for  neither  nettles  nor  thorns 
grow  in  an  inhabited  place.  Hosea  then  declares  that  their 
land  Avould  be  deserted  and  without  inhabitants,  for  nettles 
and  thorns  would  occupy  it  instead  of  men.  Now  it  tended 
greatly  to  increase  the  sorrow  of  exile,  that  the  hope  of  return 
w^as  cut  off  from  them;  and  God  had  also  declared  that 
Egypt,  where  they  had  promised  a  refuge  for  themselves, 
would  be  to  them  like  a  grave.  And  thus  it  happens  for  the 
most  part  to  the  ungodly,  who  betake  themselves  to  vain 
solaces,  that  they  may  escape  the  vengeance  of  God;  for 
they  throw  themselves  into  deep  labyrinths;  where  they 
think  to  find  a  harbour  of  rest  for  a  time,  and  a  commodious 
habitation ;  but  there  they  find  either  a  gulf  or  a  grave. 
This  is  the  meaning.     Let  us  proceed — 

VOL.  I.  X 


322  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXIV. 

7.  The   days  of  7.  Venerant  dies  visitationis,  veuerant  dies  retri- 

visitation  arc  come,  biitionis  ;  agnoscet  Israel;  stultus  Propheta  (t'cZ,  tino 

the  days  of  recom-  contextu,  sicuti  alii  legunt,   cognoscet  Israel  stul- 

pense    are    come ;  turn  Prophetam,)  iusammi  virum  spiritus,  propter 

Israel  shall   know  multitiidiuem  iuiquitatis  tuaj,  et  multum  odium  (vel, 

it:  the  Prophet  is  stiiltus  Propheta,  vsesanus  vir  spiritus  propter  mul- 

a  fool,  the  spu-itual  titudinem  iuiquitatis  tuje  et  multum  odium  :  etprop- 

man    is    mad,   for  tcr  accentum  melior  est  distinctio,  quam  secundo  loco 

the    multitude    of  postii,  cognoscet  Israel,  stultus  est  Propheta  :  et  qu(B 

thine  iniquity  and  sequuntur  poterunt  legi  separatim,  sed  tamen   ego 

the  gi'eat  hatred.  utrumque  exponam^  ut  libera  deinde  sit  electio.  ^ ) 

The  Prophet,  by  saying  that  the  days  of  visitation  had 
come,  intended  to  shake  off  from  hypocrites  that  supine  torpor 
of  which  we  have  often  spoken  ;  for  as  they  were  agitated  by 
their  own  lusts,  and  were  in  a  state  of  continual  fervour, 
so  they  hardened  themselves  against  God's  judgment,  and, 
as  it  were,  covered  themselves  over  with  hardness.  It  was 
then  necessary  to  deal  roughly  with  them  in  order  to  break 
down  such  stubbornness.  This  is  the  reason  that  the  Prophet 
repeats  so  often  and  in  so  many  forms  what  might  be  expressed 
in  this  one  sentence — That  God  Avould  be  a  just  avenger. 
Hence  he  cries  out  here,  that  the  days  of  visitation  had  come. 
For  when  the  Lord  spared  them,  as  sacred  history  relates, 
and  as  we  said  at  the  beginning,  (and  under  the  king  Jero- 
boam the  second,  the  son  of  Joash,  their  affairs  were  pros- 
perous,) their  pride  and  contempt  of  God  the  more  increased. 
Since  then  they  thought  themselves  to  be  now  beyond  the 
reach  of  harm,  the  Prophet  declares  that  the  days  had  come. 
And  there  is  here  an  implied  contrast  in  reference  to 
the  time  during  which  the  Lord  had  borne  with  them ; 
for  as  the  Lord  had   not   immediately  visited   their   sins, 

1  The  following  is  offered  as  the  literal  rendering  of  the  original : — 
'  The  days  of  visitation  have  come, 
The  daj's  of  retribution  have  come  ; 
Israel  shall  know  him  a  fool,  the  Proi^hct, 
And  mad,  the  man  of  the  spirit : 
For  the  gi-eatness  of  thine  iniquity. 
Great  also  has  been  the  abomination.' 
The  '  abomination,'  or  detestation,  was  the  false  Prophet,  who  had  been 
a  fool  and  a  madman.     The  following  verse  confirms  this  view,  where 
the  Prophet  is  represented  as  '  an  abomination  in  the  house  of  his  God  ;' 
for  it  is  the  same  word.     And  this  is  the  view  substantially  taken  in  this 
comment.    It  is  singular  that  interpreters  have  overlooked  the  postfix, 
1,  '  him,'  to  the  verb,  '  know ' — iyi>. — Ed. 


CHAP.  IX.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  323 

they  thought  that  they  had  escaped.  But  the  Prophet  here 
distinguishes  between  time  and  time  :  "  You  have  hitherto 
thought,"  he  says,  "  that  you  are  at  peace  with  God  ;  as  if  he, 
by  conniving  at  the  sins  of  men,  denied  himself,  so  as  not 
to  discharge  any  more  the  office  of  a  judge  :  nay,  there  is 
another  thing  to  be  here  considered,  and  that  is,  that  God 
has  certain  days  of  visitation,  which  he  has  fixed  for  himself; 
and  these  days  are  now  come." 

And  he  again  teaches  the  same  thing.  The  days  of  retribu- 
tion have  come.  lie  uses  another  word,  that  they  might  know 
that  they  could  not  go  unpunished  for  having  in  so  many 
ways  provoked  God.  For  as  the  Lord  disappoints  not  the 
hope  of  his  people,  who  honour  him  ;  so  also  there  is  a  re- 
ward laid  up  for  the  ungodly,  who  regard  as  nothing  his 
judgment.  "  God  will  then  repay  you  what  you  have  de- 
served, though  for  a  time  it  may  please  him  to  suspend  his 
judgment." 

Then  he  says,  Israel  shall  know.  This  is  the  wisdom  of 
fools,  as  it  is  said  even  in  an  old  proverb ;  and  Homer  has 
also  said,  cra^wv  hi  n  r/j'jriog  syvu,  (Even  the  foolish  knows  when 
he  suffers.)  The  foolish  is  not  wise,  except  when  he  suffers. 
Hence  the  Prophet  says,  that  Israel,  when  afflicted,  would 
then  perceive  that  instruction  had  been  despised,  and  that 
all  warnings  had  been  trifled  with,  at  least  had  not  been 
regarded.  Israel  then  shall  know ;  that  is,  he  shall  at  length, 
when  too  late,  understand  that  he  had  had  to  do  with  God, 
even  when  the  time  of  repentance  shall  be  no  more.  The 
meaning  then  is,  that  as  the  ungodly  reject  the  word 
of  God,  and  obey  not  wise  admonitions  and  counsels,  they 
shall  at  length  be  taken  to  another  school,  where  God  teaches 
not  by  the  mouth  but  by  the  hand.  Whosoever  then  does 
not  now  willingly  submit  to  his  teaching,  shall  find  God  to 
be  a  judge,  and  shall  not  escape  his  hand. 

They  who  join  what  follows  elicit  this  meaning,  Israel 
shall  know  the  Prophet  to  he  foolish,  the  man  of  the  spirit  to  he 
mad ;  that  is,  Israel  shall  then  understand  that  he  was  de- 
luded by  flatteries,  when  the  false  Prophets  promised  that  all 
things  would  be  prosperous.  We  indeed  know  that  they 
catched  at  those  prophecies  which  pleased  their  cars;  for 


324  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXIV. 

wliich  Micah  also  reproves  them ;  hence  he  calls  those  who 
gave  hope  of  a  better  state  of  things,  the  Prophets  of  wine 
and  oil  and  wheat,  (Micah  ii.  11.)  The  world  wishes  to  be  ever 
thus  deceived.     Since  then  there  were  many  in  Israel,  who 
by  their  impositions  deceived  the  miserable,  he  says,  Israel 
shall  at  last  know  that  he  has  been  deluded  by  his   own 
teachers.     If  we  receive  this  sense,  there  is  then  here  a  re- 
proof to  Israel  for  thinking  that  the  vengeance  of  God  was 
in  some  way  restrained,  when  the  false  Prophets  said  that  he 
was  pacified,  and  that  there  was  no  danger  to  be  feared.  For 
do  not  men  in  this  way  stultify  themselves  ?  and  how  gross 
is  their  stupidity,  when  they  think  that  God's  hands  are  tied, 
when  men  are  silent,  or  when  they  perfidiously  turn  the  truth 
into  a  lie  ?     And  yet  even  at  this  day  this  disease  prevails  in 
the  world,  as  it  has  prevailed  almost  in  all  ages.     For  what 
do  the  ungodly  seek,  but  to  be  let  alone  in  their  sins  ?  When 
mouths  are  closed,  they  think  that  they  have  gained  much. 
This  madness  the    Prophet  derides,  intimating   that  those 
profane  men,  who  have  such  delicate  ears  that  the}'  can  bear 
no  words  of  reproof,  shall  at  last  know  what  they  had  gained 
by  hiring  prophets  to  flatter  them.     We  hence  see,  in  short, 
that  the  adulations,  by  Avhich  the  ungodly  harden  themselves 
against  God,  will  be  to  them  the  occasion  of  a  twofold  de- 
struction ;  for  such  fallacies  dementate  them,  so  that  they 
much  more  boldly  provoke  against  themselves  the  wrath  of 
God. 

But  if  we  read  the  two  clauses  apart,  the  rendering  will  be 
this,  "  The  Prophet  is  a  fool,  the  man  of  the  spirit  is  mad." 
And  as  to  the  matter  itself,  there  is  not  much  difference.  I 
will  not  then  dwell  on  the  subject ;  for  when  we  are  agreed 
as  to  the  design  of  the  Prophet  and  the  truth  remains  the 
same,  it  is  vain,  at  least  It  is  of  no  benefit,  to  labour  very 
anxiously  about  the  form  of  the  sentence.  If  then  we  begin 
a  sentence  with  these  words,  N'^Il^n  7''lJ<j  dvil  enebia,  the 
sense  will  be  this,  "  I  know  that  the  Prophets  promise  im- 
punity to  you ;  but  they  who  thus  hide  your  sins,  and  cover 
them  over  as  with  plasters,  are  insane  men,  yea,  they  are 
wholly  infatuated.  There  is  then  no  reason  why  their  flat- 
teries should  delight  you  ;  for  the  event  will  show  that  they 


CHAP.  IX.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  325 

are  mere  absurdities  and  idle  ravings."  We  now  see  that 
there  is  no  great  difference  in  the  sense  :  for  this  remains 
still  unaltered,  that  there  were  many  flatterers  among  the 
people,  who  made  it  their  business  to  lie,  that  they  might 
thus  procure  the  favour  of  the  people  ;  and  this  ambition  has 
prevailed  in  all  ages  :  and  sometimes  also  cupidity  or  avarice 
takes  such  hold  on  men,  that  they  use  a  meretricious  tongue, 
and  excuse  all  vices  however  grievous,  and  elude  all  threat- 
enings.  This  is  what  the  Prophet  shows  in  the  first  place  ; 
and  then  he  shows,  that  men  without  any  advantage  indulge 
their  vices,  when  there  is  no  one  severely  to  reprove  them, 
or  boldly  to  exhort  them  to  repent ;  and  that  though  all 
the  Prophets  should  give  them  hope  of  safety,  they  should 
yet  perish  :  for  men  cannot  by  their  silence  restrain  God  from 
executing  at  last  his  judgment.  Nay,  we  must  remember 
this,  that  God  spares  men  when  he  does  not  spare  them;  that 
is,  Avhen  he  chastises  them,  when  he  reproves  their  sins,  and 
when  he  constrains  them  by  terror,  he  then  would  spare  them. 
And  again,  when  God  spares,  he  does  not  spare ;  that  is, 
when  he  connives  at  their  sins,  and  leaves  men  to  their  own 
will,  to  grow  wanton  at  their  pleasure,  without  any  yoke  or 
bridle,  he  then  by  no  means  spares  them,  for  he  destines  them 
for  destruction. 

"  The  man  of  the  spirit,"  some  render  "  the  man  of  the 
wind  ;"  and  some  "  the  fanatical  man  ;"  but  they  are  in  my 
judgment  mistaken ;  for  the  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  uses  a  re- 
spectful term,  but  yet  by  way  of  concession.  He  then  calls 
those  the  men  of  the  spirit  who  were  by  their  office  Prophets, 
but  who  abused  that  title,  as  those  who  at  this  day  call 
themselves  pastors  when  they  are  really  rapacious  wolves. 
The  Prophets,  as  we  know,  always  declared  that  they  did  not 
speak  from  their  own  minds,  but  what  the  Spirit  -  God  dic- 
tated to  them.  Hence  they  were  men  of  the  Spirit,  that  is, 
spiritual  men :  for  the  genitive  case,  we  know,  was  used  by 
the  Hebrews  to  express  what  we  designate  by  an  adjective. 
The  Prophets  then  were  the  men  of  the  Spirit.  He  concedes 
this  name,  in  itself  illustrious  and  honourable,  to  impostors ; 
but  in  the  same  sense  as  when  I  speak  generally  of  teachers ; 
I  then  include  the  flxlse  as  well  as  the  true.    This  then  is  the 


326  THE  TAVELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.      LECT.  XXIY. 

real  meaning  of  the  expression,  as  we  may  gather  from  the 
context :  for  he  says  the  same  thing  twice,  t<'*iin  7''1X>  avil 
eiiQhia,  Fool  is  the  Prophet,  and  then,  ^'T^^  tJ'''J<  '^y^l2i 
meshlffo  aish  eruch,  Mad  is  the  man  of  the  spirit.  As  he  spoke 
of  a  Prophet,  so  he  ,now  mentions  the  same  by  calhng  him  a 
man  of  the  spirit,  or  a  spiritual  man. 

At  the  end  of  the  verse  he  adds.  For  the  multitude  of  thine 
iniqidty,  for  great  hatred,  or,  much  hatred ;  for  it  may  be  ren- 
dered in  these  two  ways.  Here  the  Prophet  shows,  that 
though  the  false  Prophets  stultified  by  their  fallacies  the 
people,  yet  this  could  by  no  means  avail  for  an  excuse  or  for 
extenuating  the  fault  of  the  people.  How  so  ?  Because  they 
suffered  the  punishment  of  their  own  impiety.  For  whence 
comes  it,  that  the  Lord  takes  away  his  light  from  us,  that 
after  having  once  shown  to  us  the  way  of  salvation,  he  tm'ns 
suddenly  his  back  on  us,  and  suffers  us  to  go  astray  to  our 
perdition  ?  How  does  this  happen  ?  Doubtless,  because  we 
are  unworthy  of  that  light,  which  was  a  witness  to  us  of  God's 
favour.  For  as  much  then  as  men  through  their  own  fault 
procure  such  a  judgiBcnt  to  themselves,  the  Lord  neither 
blinds  them  nor  gives  to  Satan  the  power  of  deluding  them, 
except  when  they  deserve  such  a  treatment.  Hence  the  Pro- 
phet says,  For  the  midtitude  of  thine  iniquity,  and  for  thy 
crimes,  by  which  thou  hast  excited  against  thyself  the  wrath 
and  hatred  of  God.  We  hence  see  how  frivolous  are  the 
pretences  by  which  men  clear  themselves,  when  they  object 
and  say  that  they  have  been  deceived,  and  that  if  their 
teachers  had  been  faithful  and  honest,  they  would  have  will- 
ingly obeyed  God.  When  therefore  men  make  these  objec- 
tions, the  ready  answer  is  this,  that  they  had  been  deprived 
of  true  and  faithful  teachers,  because  they  had  refused  the 
favour  offered  to  them,  and  extinguished  the  light,  and  as 
Paul  says,  preferred  a  lie  to  the  truth  ;  and  that  they  had  been 
deceived  by  false  Prophets,  because  they  willingly  hastened 
to  ruin  when  the  Lord  called  them  to  salvation.  We  now 
then  understand  the  import  of  what  is  here  taught. 

The  Prophet  says,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  day  of  ven- 
geance was  now  at  hand,  because  the  Lord  by  forbearance  could 
prevail  nothing  with  the  obstinate.     He  then  adds,  that  as 


CHAP.  IX.  8.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  327 

all  tlireatenings  were  despised  by  the  people,  and  as  they  were 
deaf  to  every  instruction,  they  would  at  length  know  that 
God  had  not  spoken  in  vain,  but  would  perceive  that  they 
Avere  justly  treated  ;  for  the  Lord  would  not  now  teach  them 
by  his  word,  but  by  scourges.  He  adds,  in  the  third  place, 
that  the  Prophet  was  foolish  and  delirious,  and  also,  that  they 
who  boasted  themselves  to  be  the  men  of  the  spirit  were 
mad  :  by  which  expressions  he  meant  that  the  flatteries,  by 
which  the  people  were  lulled  asleep,  were  foolish ;  for  God 
Avould  not  fail  at  last,  when  the  time  came,  to  execute  his 
office.  And,  lastly,  he  reminds  them  that  this  would  happen 
through  the  fault  of  the  people,  that  there  was  no  reason  for 
them  to  trace  or  to  ascribe  the  cause  of  the  evil  to  any  thing 
else  ;  for  this  blindness  was  their  just  punishment.  The  Lord 
would  have  never  permitted  Satan  thus  to  prevail  in  his  own 
inheritance,  had  not  the  people,  by  the  immense  filth  of  their 
sins,  provoked  God  for  a  long  time,  and  as  it  were  with  a 
determined  purpose.     It  now  follows — 

8.  The  watclimau  of  Eph-        8.  Speculator  Ephraim  cum  Deo  meo, 

raim  tvas  with  my  God  :  but  Propheta  laqueus  aucupis  super  omnes 

the  Prophet  is   a  suare  of  a  \'ias  ejus,  odium  (hoc  est,  res  esecrabilis : 

fowler  iu   all  his   ways,  a7id  est  idem  nomen  quo  usus  est  in  jrroximo 

hatred  in  the   house   of  his  tje?s2<:  res?^/ter  execrabilisj  in  domoDei 

God.i  sui. 

^  Bishop  Horsley  gives  the  following  rendering  of  this  verse  : — 

'  The  watchman  of  Ephraim  is  with  his  God. 
The  Prophet !  the  snare  of  the  fowler  is 
Over  all  his  ways.  Vengeance  against 
The  household  of  my  God.' 

(•For  '  his,'  instead  of  'my'  God,  in  the  first  clause,  there  is  the  authority 
of  many  MSS. :  but  for  turning  '  his '  into  '  my,'  iu  the  last  clause,  there  is 
no  satisfactory  authority  :  and  there  is  nothing  to  justify  the  introducing 
of  '  vengeance  '  for  the  word  here  used.  The  verb  fi"om  which  it  is  derived 
means  to  hate  :  and  the  noun  as  here  formed  signifies,  no  doubt,  either 
the  act  or  feeling  of  hating,  or  what  is  hated  or  is  hateful.  Cahin  gives 
nearly  its  meaning — '  res  execrabilis ' — an  execrable  thing.  I  offer  the 
foUowiug  translation : — 


■"to 


'  The  watchman  of  Ephraim, 
Before  his  God  a  Prophet, 
Is  a  snare  of  a  fowler  in  all  his  ways, 
An  abomination  in  the  house  of  his  God.' 

The  two  first  lines  designate  his  oflace — a  watchman  and  a  Proplict 
before  God  ;  and  the  two  last,  his  wicked  conduct  and  base  cliaracter. — 
Ed. 


328  THE  T^VELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXIV. 

Interpreters  obscure  this  verse  by  their  various  opinions. 
Ahnost  all  suppose  a  verb  to  be  understood,  that  Ephraim 
"  had  set"  a  watchman.    But  I  see  no  need  to  make  any  change 
in  the  words  of  the  Prophet :  I  therefore  take  them  simply  as 
they  are.      Now  some  think  that  there  is  here  a  comparison 
between  the  old  Prophets  who  had  not  turned  aside  from 
God's    command,  and   those  flatterers    Avho   pretended  the 
name  of  God,  while  they  were  the  ministers  of  Satan  to  de- 
ceive.    They  therefore  thus  distinguish  them,  The  loatclunan 
of  Ephraim  icas  icith  my  God ;  that  is,  there  was  a  time  for- 
merly when  the  watchmen  of  Ephraim  were  connected  with 
God,  and  declared  no  strange  doctrine,  when  they  drew  from 
the  true  fountain  all  that  they  taught ;  there  was  then  a 
connection  between  God  and  the  Prophets,  for  they  depended 
on  the  mouth  of  God,    and  the  Prophets  delivered  to  the 
people,  as  from  hand  to  hand,  whatever  God  commanded  ; 
there  was  then  nothing  corrupt,  or  impure,  or  adventitious  in 
their  words.     But  now  the  Prophet  is  a  snare  of  a  fowler ;  that 
is,  the  dice  is  turned,  a  deplorable  change  has  taken  place  ; 
for  now  the  Prophets  lay  snares  to  draw  people  by  their  dis- 
ciples into  destruction  ;  and  this  abomination  bears  rule,  that 
is,  this  monstrous  wickedness  prevails  in  the  temple  of  God  : 
these  Prophets  live  not  in  caves  nor  traverse  public  roads, 
but  they  occupy  a  place  in  the  temple  of  God  ;  so  that  of  the 
sacred  temple  of  God  they  make  a  brothel  for  the  impostures 
of  Satan.     Such  is  their  view. 

But  I  read  the  verse  as  connected  together.  The  watchman 
of  Ephraim,  who  ought  to  have  been  with  God,  even  the 
Prophet,  is  a  snare  of  a  fowler  on  all  his  ways.  The  former  view 
would  have  indeed  met  my  approbation,  did  not  the  words 
appear  to  be  forced ;  and  I  do  not  love  strained  meanings. 
This  is  the  reason  which  prevents  me  from  subscribing  to  an 
exposition  which  in  itself  I  approve,  as  it  embraces  a  useful 
doctrine.  But  this  simple  view  is  more  correct,  that  the 
watchman  of  Ephraim,  a  Prophet,  is  a  snare  of  a  fowler:  and 
he  adds,  with  God ;  for  it  is  the  duty  of  teachers  to  have 
nothing  unconnected  with  God.  Hosea  then  shows  what 
Prophets  ought  to  do,  not  what  they  may  do.  A  Prophet 
then  is  he  who  is  a  watchman  of  Israel ;  for  this  command, 


CHAP.  IX.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  329 

we  know,  is  given  in  common  to  all  Prophets — to  be  as  it 
were  on  their  watch-tower,  and  to  be  vigilant  over  the 
people  of  God.  It  is  therefore  no  wonder  that  the  Prophet 
dignifies  with  his  own  title  all  those  who  were  then  teachers 
among  God's  people.  But  he  thus  doubles  their  crime,  by- 
saying  that  they  were  only  keen  and  sharp-sighted  to  snare 
the  people.  Then  the  watchmen  of  Israel,  the  Prophet,  who 
was  placed  on  the  watch-tower  to  watch  or  to  exercise  vigil- 
ance over  the  safety  of  the  whole  people — this  Prophet  was 
a  snare  of  a  fowler !  But  he  triplicates  the  crime  when  he 
says.  With  my  God :  for  as  we  have  already  observed,  teachers 
could  not  faithfully  discharge  their  office,  except  they  were 
connected  with  God,  and  were  able  truly  to  testify  that  they 
brought  forth  nothing  that  was  invented,  but  what  the  Lord 
himself  had  spoken,  and  that  they  were  his  organs.  We  now 
then  apprehend  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet ;  and  accord- 
inof  to  this  view  there  is  nothing-  strained  in  the  words. 

The  Prophet  also  thus  confirms  what  he  had  said  before, 
that  the  Prophets  were  fools,  that  is,  that  their  prophecies 
would  at  length  appear  empty  and  vain  ;  for  they  could  not 
prevent  God  from  inflicting  punishment  on  the  wicked  by 
their  fallacious  flatteries ;  he  confirms  this  truth  when  he 
says.  The  watchmen  of  Ej^hraim,  is  a  snare  of  afoivler  on  all  his 
loays :  that  is,  he  ought  to  have  guided  the  people,  and  to  have 
kept  them  safe  from  intrigues.  But  now  the  people  could 
not  move  a  foot  without  meeting  with  a  snare  ;  and  whence 
came  this  snare  but  from  false  doctrine  and  impostures? 
What  then  was  to  be  at  last?  Could  the  snares  avail  to 
make  them  cautious  ?  By  no  means ;  but  Satan  thus  hunts 
his  prey,  when  he  soothes  the  people  by  his  false  teachers, 
and  keeps  them,  as  it  were,  asleep,  that  they  may  not  regard 
the  hand  of  God.  There  was  then  no  reason  for  the  Israelites 
to  think  well  of  the  fowlers  by  whom  they  were  drawn  into 
ruin. 

This  indignity  is  more  emphatically  expressed,  when  he 
says,  that  there  was  a  detestable  thing  in  the  temple  of  God. 
There  was  not,  indeed,  a  temple  of  God  in  Bethel,  as  we 
have  often  said ;  but  as  the  people  were  wont  to  pretend  the 
name  of  God,  the  Prophet,  conceding  this  point,  says,  that 


330  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIV. 

these  abominations  were  covered  over  by  this  pretence. 
There  is  then  no  need  anxiously  to  inquire  here,  whether  it 
was  the  temple  at  Samaria  or  at  Bethel,  or  the  house  and 
sanctuary  of  God  ;  for  a  concession  proves  not  a  thing  to  be 
so,  but  it  is  to  speak  according  to  the  general  opinion.  So 
then  the  Prophet  does  not  without  reason  complain,  that  the 
place,  on  which  was  inscribed  the  name  of  God,  was  profaned, 
and  that,  instead  of  the  teaching  of  salvation,  there  was 
fowling  everywhere,  which  drew  the  people  into  apostacy, 
and  finally  into  utter  ruin.     It  follows — 

9.  They  have  deeply  9.  Pi-ofundaveruat   (ad  verbum,  alii  vertuni, 

coiTuptecl    themselves,^  INIultiplicaverunt,  sed  male ;  alii^  Astute  cogita- 

as  iu  the  days  of  Gib-  veruut,    quod   mihi  etiam  non  placet :  sed  quia 

cah  :  therefore  he  will  verbum  quod  posui  neque   Latinum  est  ei  esset 

remember    their     ini-  ambiguum^  ideo  vertamus,  Profimde  vel  alte  defixi  - 

quity,  he  wiU  visit  their  sunt)  corruperunt  sicuti  in  diebns  Gabaa  ;  recor- 

sins.  dabitui"  iuiquitatis  eorum,  visitabit  scelera  eorum. 

Hosea  declares  here,  that  the  people  were  so  sunk  in  their 
vices,  that  they  could  not  be  drawn  out  of  them.  He  who 
has  fallen  can  raise  up  himself  when  one  extends  a  hand  to 
him ;  and  he  who  strives  to  emerge  from  the  mire,  finding  a 
helper  to  assist  him,  can  plant  his  foot  again  on  solid  ground  : 
but  when  he  is  cast  into  a  gulf,  he  has  no  hope  of  a  re- 
covery. I  extend  my  hand  in  vain,  when  one  sinks  in  a 
shipwreck,  and  is  fallen  into  the  deep.  So  now  the  Prophet 
says,  that  the  people  were  unhealable,  because  they  were 
deeply  fixed ;  and  further,  because  they  were  infected  with 
corruptions.  He  therefore  intimates  that  their  diseases  were 
incurable,  that  they  had  struck  roots  so  deeply,  that  they 
could  by  no  means  be  cleansed.  Thei/  loere  then  deeply  Jixedy 
and  were  corrupt  as  in  the  days  of  Giheah. 

The  Gibeonites,  we  know,  were  so  fallen,  that  their  city 
differed  nothing  from  Sodom ;  for  unbridled  licentiousness 
in  all  kinds  of  vices  prevailed  there,  and  lusts  so  monstrous 
reigned  among  them,  that  there  was  no  distinction  between 
good  and  evil,  no  shame  whatever.  Hence  it  was,  that  they 
ravished  the  Levite's  wife,  and   killed   her   by  their  filthy 

^  Our  translators,  contrary  to  their  usual  practice,  have  paraphrased 
this  clause,  without  any  notice  in  the  margin. — Ed. 


CHAP.  IX.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  331 

obscenities :  and  this  was  the  cause  of  that  memorable 
slaughter  which  nearly  demolished  the  whole  tribe  of  Benja- 
min. The  history  is  related  in  the  Book  of  Judges,  chapters 
xix.,  XX.,  and  xxi. ;  and  it  deserved  to  be  recorded,  that  people 
might  know  what  it  is  not  to  walk  with  care  and  fear  in  obe- 
dience to  the  Lord.  Who  could  indeed  have  believed  that  a 
people  taught  in  the  law  of  God  could  have  fallen  into  such 
a  state  of  madness  as  this  city  did,  which  was  nigh  to  Jeru- 
salem, the  destined  place  of  the  temple,  though  not  yet  built? 
and,  not  to  mention  the  temple,  who  could  have  thought  that 
this  city,  which  was  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  could  have 
been  so  demented,  that,  like  brute  beasts,  they  should  aban- 
don themselves  to  the  filthiest  lusts  ?  nay,  that  they  should 
have  been  more  filthy  than  the  beasts  ?  For  monstrous  lusts, 
as  I  have  said,  were  there  left  unpunished,  as  at  Sodom  and 
in  the  neighbouring  cities. 

The  Prophet  says  now,  that  the  whole  of  Israel  had  become 
as  corrupt  as  formerly  the  citizens  of  Gibeah.  Deeply  sunk, 
then,  were  the  Israelites  in  their  vices,  and  were  as  addicted 
as  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeah  to  their  corruptions.  What, 
then,  is  to  follow  ?  God,  he  says,  icill  remember  their  iniqui- 
ties, and  loill  visit  their  sins.  The  Prophet  means  two  things 
— first,  that  as  the  Israelites  were  wholly  disobedient,  and 
would  receive  no  instruction,  God  would  in  no  other  way 
deal  with  them,  as  though  he  said,  "  The  Lord  will  no  longer 
spend  labour  in  vain  in  teaching  you,  but  he  will  seize  the 
sword  and  execute  his  vengeance ;  for  ye  are  not  worthy  of 
being  taught  by  him  any  longer ;  for  his  teaching  is  counted 
a  mockery  by  you."  This  is  one  thing ;  and  the  other  is, 
that  though  God  had  hitherto  spared  the  people  of  Israel,  he 
had  not  yet  forgotten  the  filth  of  sins  which  prevailed  among 
them.  Hence  God,  he  says,  will  at  length  remember,  and, 
as  he  had  said  before,  will  visit  your  sins. 

We  now  then  perceive  the  simple  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 
But  let  us  hence  also  learn  to  rouse  ourselves  ;  and  let  us,  in 
the  first  place,  notice  what  the  Prophet  says  of  the  Israelites, 
that  they  were  deeply  fixed ;  for  men  must  be  filled  with 
contempt  to  God,  when  they  thus  descend,  as  Solomon  says, 
(Prov.  xviii.  4,)  to  the  deep.     Let,  then,  each  of  us  stir  up 


332  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXV. 

himself  to  repentance,  and  carefully  beware  lest  he  should 
descend  into  this  deep  gulf.  But  since  he  says,  the  Lord 
will  remember  and  will  visit,  let  us  know  that  they  are  greatly 
deceived  who  indulge  themselves  as  long  as  the  Lord  merci- 
fully bears  with  their  sins ;  for  though  he  may  for  a  time  con- 
ceal his  displeasure,  yet  an  oblivion  will  never  possess  him : 
but  at  a  fit  time  he  will  remember,  and  prove  that  he  does  so 
by  executing  a  just  punishment. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  shinest  on  us  by  thy  word,  we 
may  not  be  blind  at  mid-day,  nor  wilfuUy  seek  darkness,  and 
thus  lull  our  minds  asleep  :  but  that  exercising  ourselves  in  thy 
word,  we  may  stir  up  ourselves  more  and  more  to  fear  thy 
name,  and  thus  present  ourselves,  and  all  our  piu-suits,  as  a 
sacrifice  to  thee,  that  thou  mayest  peaceably  rule,  and  per- 
petually dwell  in  us,  until  thou  gatherest  us  to  thy  celestial 
habitation,  where  there  is  reserved  for  us  eternal  rest  and 
glory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


10.  I  found  Israel  like  grapes  in  10.  Tanquam  uvas  in  deserto  in- 

the  wilderness ;  I  saw  your  fathers  veni  Israel,  sicut  primum  fructum 

as  the  first  ripe  in  the  fig-tree  at  her  ficulneEe  in  suo  exordio  vidi  patres 

first  time  :  but  they  went  to  Baal-  eorum :  ipsi  ingi-essi  sunt  ad  Baal- 

peor,  and  separated  themselves  unto  peor,  et  segi'egati  sunt  in  oppro- 

t/iat  shame  ;  and  (heir  abominations  brium,  et    fuerunt    abominationes 

Avere  according  as  they  loved.  secundum  am  ores  suos.^ 

In  this  verse  God  reproves  the  Israelites  for  having  pre- 
ferred to  prostitute  themselves  to  idols,  rather  than  to  con- 
tinue under  his  protection,  though  he  had  from  the  beginning 
showed  his  favour  to  them ;  as  though  he  had  said,  that  they, 
having  been  previously  favoured  with  his  free  love,  had  trans- 
ferred their  affections  to  others ;  for  he  says,  that  he  had 


I 


'  As  grapes  in  the  desert  have  I  found  Israel, 
As  the  first  fruit  on  the  fig-tree  in  its  first  season 
Have  I  seen  your  fathers  : 
They  went  to  Baal-peor, 
And  dedicated  themselves  to  shame, 
And  became  filthy  like  what  they  loved.' 

Or,  literally,  '  like  their  love.' — Ed. 


CHAP.  IX.  10.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  333 

found  them  as  grapes  in  the  wilderness.  The  word  ivilder- 
?iess,  ought  to  be  joined  with  grapes,  as  if  he  had  said,  that 
they  had  been  as  sweet  and  acceptable  to  him  as  a  grape 
when  found  in  a  desert.  When  a  traveller  finds,  by  chance, 
a  grape  in  a  barren  and  desolate  place,  he  not  only  admires 
it,  but  takes  great  delight  in  a  fruit  so  unlooked  for.  And 
thus  the  Lord,  by  this  comparison,  shows  his  great  love  to- 
w-ards  the  Israelites,  He  adds, — As  the  first  fruit  of  the  Jig- 
tree  ;  for  the  fig-tree,  we  know,  produces  fruit  twice  every 
year.  Therefore,  God  says, — As  figs  at  the  beginning  (or,  as 
they  say,  the  first  fruits)  arc  delightful,  so  have  I  taken  de- 
light in  this  people.  The  Prophet  does  not  however  mean, 
that  the  people  were  worthy  of  being  so  much  loved.  But 
the  Hebrews  use  the  word,  to  find,  in  the  same  sense  as  we 
do,  when  we  say  in  French, — Je  treuve  cela  a  mon  gout^  (I  find 
this  to  my  taste.)  I  have  therefore  regarded  Israel  as  grapes 
in  the  wilderness.  And  this  remark  is  needful,  lest  some  one 
should  subtilely  infer,  that  the  Israelites  Avere  loved  by  God, 
because  they  had  something  savoury  in  them.  For  the  Pro- 
phet relates  not  here  what  God  found  in  the  people,  but  he 
only  reproves  their  ingratitude,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

The  first  part  then  shows,  that  God  had  great  delight  in 
this  people.  It  is  the  same  or  similar  sentence  to  that  in 
chap,  xi.,  where  he  says,  '  When  Ephraim  was  yet  a  child,  I 
loved  him,'  except  that  there  is  not  there  so  much  fervour  and 
warmth  of  love  expressed  ;  but  the  same  argument  is  there 
handled,  and  the  object  is  the  same,  and  it  is  to  prove,  that 
God  anticipated  his  people  by  his  love.  There  remained,  in 
this  case,  less  excuse,  when  men  rejected  God  calling  them, 
and  responded  not  to  his  love.  A  perverseness  like  this 
would  be  hardly  endured  among  men.  Were  any  one  to  love 
me  freely,  and  I  to  slight  him,  it  would  be  an  evidence  of 
pride  and  rudeness  :  but  w^hen  God  himself  gratuitously  treats 
us  with  kindness,  and  when,  not  content  with  common  love, 
he  regards  us  as  delectable  fruit,  does  not  the  rejection  of  this 
love,  does  not  the  contempt  of  this  favour,  betray,  on  our 
part,  the  basest  depravity  ?  We  now  then  understand  the 
design  of  the  Prophet.  In  the  first  clause,  he  says,  in  the 
person  of  God,  "  I  have  loved  Israel,  as  a  traveller  docs 


Ji34  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXV. 

grapes,  when  he  finds  them  in  the  desert,  and  as  the  first  ripe 
fio-s  are  wont  to  be  loved  :  since,  then,  I  so  much  delighted 
in  them,  ought  they  not  to  have  honoured  me  in  return  ? 
Ouccht  not  my  gratuitous  love  to  have  inflamed  their  hearts, 
so  as  to  induce  them  to  devote  themselves  wholly  to  me  ?" 

But  they  went  in  unto  Baal-inor.     So  I  interpret  the  verb 
li^l,  ^au ;  and  it  is  taken  in  tliis  sense  in  many  other  places. 
For  the  Hebrews  say,  "  they  went  in,"  to  express  in  a  delicate 
way  the  intercourse  between  husbands  and  wives.     And  the 
Prophet  does  not,  without   reason,   compare   the   sacrifices 
which  the  people  offered  to  Baal-peor  to  adultery,  as  being 
like  the  intercourse  which  an  adulterer  has  with  an  harlot. 
They  then  Avent  in  unto  Baal-peor ;  and  he  adds,  that  they 
separated  themselves.     Some  interpret  the  word  IT^,  nesar,  as 
referrino-  to  worship,  and  as  meaning  that  they  consecrated 
themselves  to  Baal-peor ;  and  others  derive  it  from  HIT?  «are, 
v.'hich  they  think  is  here  in  a  passive  sense,  and  means,  "  to 
be  alienated."     But  I  take  it  in  the  same  sense  as  when 
Ezekiel  says,  "  They  have  separated  themselves  from  after 
me,"  '•*inX,'b>  mach&ri,  chap.  xiv. ;  that  is,  that  they  may  not 
follow  me.     God  here  expostulates  with  the  people  for  fol- 
lowing their  fornications,  and  for  thus  repudiating  that  sacred 
marriage  Avhich  God  contracts  with  all  his  people.     I  there- 
fore read  the  two  sentences  as  forming  one  context,  "  The 
Israelites  icent  in  unto  Baal-peor,  as  an  adulterer  goes  in  unto 
a  harlot ;  and  they  separated  themselves  ;  for  they  denied  God, 
and  violated  the  faith  pledged  to  him ;  they  discarded  the 
spiritual  marriage  which  God  made  with  them."     For  the 
Prophet,  we  know,  whenever  he  refers  to  idolatries,  speaks 
allegorically  or  metaphorically,  and  mentions  adultery. 

They  have  separated  themselves,  he  says,  to  repjroach ;  that 
is,  though  their  filthiness  was  shameful,  they  were  yet  wholly 
insensible  :  as  when  a  wife  disregards  her  character,  or  as 
when  a  husband  cares  not  that  he  is  pointed  at  by  the  finger, 
and  that  his  baseness  is  to  all  a  laughing-stock  ;  so  the  Israel- 
ites, he  says,  had  separated  themselves  to  reproach,  having 
cast  away  all  shame,  they  abandoned  themselves  to  wicked- 
ness. Some  render  the  word  riSJ'ij  beshet,  obscenity,  and 
others  refer  it  to  Baal-peor,  and  render  the  sentence  thus, 


CHAP.  IX.  10.  COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  335 

"  They  have  separated  themselves  to  that  filthy  idol."  For 
some  think  Priapus  to  have  been  Baal-peor ;  and  this  opinion 
has  gained  the  consent  of  almost  all.  But  I  extend  wider  the 
meaning  of  the  word  "reproach,"  as  signifying  that  the  people 
observed  no  difference  between  what  was  decent  and  what 
was  shameful,  but  that  they  were  senseless  in  their  impiety. 
They  were  therefore  ahominahle,  or  abominations  according  to 
their  lovers.  The  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  connects  here  the 
Israelites  with  idols  and  with  Baal-peor  itself,  that  he  might 
strif)  them  of  all  that  holiness  which  they  had  obtained 
through  God's  favour.  We  now  apprehend  the  meaning  of 
the  Prophet. 

Now,  what  is  here  taught  is  worthy  of  being  noticed  and 
is  useful.  For,  as  we  have  said,  inexcusable  is  our  wicked- 
ness, if  we  despise  the  gratuitous  love  of  God,  bestoAved  un- 
asked. When  God  then  comes  to  us  of  his  own  accord, 
when  he  invites  us,  when  he  offers  to  us  the  privilege  of 
children,  an  inestimable  benefit,  and  when  we  reject  his 
favour,  is  not  this  more  than  savage  ferocity  ?  It  was  to 
reprobate  such  conduct  as  this  that  the  Prophet  says,  that 
God  had  loved  Israel,  as  when  one  finds  grapes  in  the  desert, 
or  as  when  one  eats  the  first  ripe  figs.  But  it  must,  at  the 
same  time,  be  noticed  why  the  Prophet  so  much  extols  the 
dealings  of  God  with  the  people  of  Israel ;  it  was  for  this 
reason,  because  their  adoption,  as  it  is  well  known,  was  not 
an  ordinary  pi'ivilege,  nor  what  they  enjoyed  in  common  with 
other  nations.  Since,  then,  the  people  had  been  chosen  to 
be  God's  special  possession,  the  Prophet  here  justly  extols 
this  love  with  peculiar  commendation.  And  the  like  is  our 
case  at  this  day ;  for  God  vouchsafes  not  to  all  the  favour 
which  has  been  presented  to  us  through  the  shining  light  of 
the  gospel.  Other  people  wander  in  darkness,  the  light  of 
life  dwells  only  among  us  :  does  not  God  thus  show  that  he 
delights  especially  in  us  ?  But  if  we  continue  the  same  as 
we  were,  and  if  we  reject  him  and  transfer  our  love  to  others, 
or  rather  if  lust  leads  us  astray  from  him,  is  not  this  detest- 
able wickedness  and  obstinancy  ? 

But  what  the  Prophet  says,  that  they  separated  themselves 
to  reproach,  is  also  worthy  of  being  noticed ;  for  he  exagger- 


336  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXV. 

ates  their  crime  by  this  consideration,  that  the  Israelites 
were  so  blinded,  that  they  perceived  not  their  own  turpitude, 
though  it  was  quite  manifest.  The  superstitions  which  then 
prevailed  in  the  land  of  Moab  were  no  doubt  very  gross ; 
but  Satan  had  so  fascinated  their  minds,  that  they  gave 
themselves  up  to  a  conduct  which  was  worse  than  shameful. 
Let  us  then  know  that  our  sin  is  worthy  of  a  heavier  punish- 
ment in  such  a  case  as  this,  that  is,  when  every  distinction  is 
done  away  among  us,  and  when  we  are  hurried  away  by  the 
spirit  of  giddiness  into  every  impiety,  and  when  Ave  no  longer 
distinguish  between  light  and  darkness,  between  white  and 
black  ;  for  it  is  a  token  of  final  reprobation.  When,  there- 
fore, shame  ought  to  have  restrained  them,  he  says,  that  the 
Israelites  had  yet  separated  themselves  to  reproach,  and  became 
abominable  like  their  lovers ;  that  is.  As  Baal-peor  is  the  highest 
abomination  to  me,  so  the  people  became  to  me  equally 
abominable.     It  now  follows — 

11.  As  for  Ephraim,  their  11.  Ephraim,  quasi  avis  avolavit 
glory  shall  fly  away  like  a  bird,  gloria  eorum,  a  partu  ct  ab  utero  et  a 
from  the  birth,  and  from  the  womb,  conceptioiic,  (jimgamiis  etiam  sequen- 
aud  from  the  coiice]:)tion.  tern  versum ;) 

12.  Though  they  bring  up  their  12.  Quia  si  extulerint  filios  suos, 
children,  yet  will  I  bereave  them,  time  exterminabo  cos  ab  homine 
that  there  shall  not  be  a  man  left :  (hoc  est,  ne  sint  in  numero  hominum  :) 
yea,  Avoe  also  to  them  when  I  certe  etiam  vje  illis  quum  recessero  ab 
depart  from  them,  eis.' 

The  Hebrews,  we  know,  have  often  abrupt  sentences,  as  in 
this  place,  Ephraim  !  their  glory  has  jled.  Ephraim  is  to  be 
placed  by  itself;  and  the  speech  seems  striking,  when  the 

^  I  offer  the  following  rendering  of  the  original : — 

11.  '  Ephraim  as  a  bird  flieth  swiftly  away  ; 

Their  glory  is  from  the  bii-th,   and  from  the  womb,  anil 
from  conception : 

12.  '  But  though  they  bring  up  then-  children, 

I  will  yet  destroy  them,  that  they  shall  not  be  men  ; 
Yea,  even  woe  will  he  to  them. 
When  I  tnrn  aside  from  them.' 

Fruitfulness  of  progeny  was  included  in  Jacob's  blessing  on  Joseph, 
the  father  of  Ephraim,  who  especially  represented  him.  "  Blessings  of 
the  breasts  and  of  the  womb"  are  specifically  mentioned,  Gen.  xlix.  25. 
The  former  of  these  two  verses  alludes  to  this  circumstance.  Ephi-aim 
is  compared  to  a  bird,  soon  fledged  and  flying  away  from  the  nest :  and 


CHAP.  IX.  11,  12.     COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  337 

Lord  thus  breaks  off  the  sentence,  Ephraim !  he  does  not 
continue  the  sense,  but  immediately  adds,  Like  a  bird  their 
glory  has  Jled.  When  he  speaks  of  Ephraim,  he  no  doubt 
refers  especially  to  his  offspring ;  and  by  mentioning  a  part 
for  the  whole,  he  includes  whatever  was  then  deemed  to  be 
wealth,  or  glory,  or  power.  The  Prophet,  I  say,  speaks  of 
offspring,  for  he  immediately  adds,  from  the  birtli,  and  the 
womb,  and  the  conception.  But  they  ai'e  mistaken  who  confine 
this  sentence  to  offspring  only ;  for  it  is,  as  I  have  said,  a 
mode  of  speaking,  by  which  a  part  is  taken  for  the  whole. 
According  to  the  letter,  he  mentions  children  or  offspring ; 
but  yet  he  includes  generally  the  whole  condition  of  the 
people. 

Then  as  a  bird  the  glory  of  Ephraim  fled  aioay.  In  what 
respect  ?  From  the  birth,  from  the  womb,  from  the  conception. 
The  Prophet,  no  doubt,  sets  forth  here  the  gradations  of 
God's  vengeance,  which  was  yet  in  part  near  at  hand  to  the 
Israelites,  and  which  was  in  part  already  evident  by  clear 
proofs.  He  says,  from  the  birth,  then  fro7n  the  loomb,  and, 
lastly,  from  the  conception.  If,  then,  the  glory  of  Ephraim 
had  vanished  at  the  beginning,  the  Prophet  would  not  have 
thus  spoken ;  but  as  the  Lord  showed  signs  of  his  wrath  by 
degrees,  that  vengeance  at  length  might  reach  the  highest 
point,  the  Prophet,  in  the  first  place,  mentions  birih,  then 
the  womb ;  as  though  he  said,  "  The  glory  of  Israel  shall 
Tanish  from  the  birth,  but  if  they  still  continue  proud,  and 
seem  not  subdued  by  this  punishment,  I  Avill  slay  them  in 
the  womb  itself;  nay,  in  the  conception,  if  they  repent  not ; 
they  shall  be  suffocated  as  in  the  very  womb." 

He  then  adds.  Though  they  shall  bring  up  children,  I  will 
yet  exterminate  them,  so  that  they  shall  not  be  men,  or,  before 
they  grow  up,  as  some  expound  the  words.  The  meaning  is, 
that  though  Ephraim  then  flattered  himself,  yet  a  dreadful 

then  it  is  added,  that  the  glory  of  that  people  was  their  rapid  increase. 
It  is  a  declaration,  not  a  denunciation,  for  this  follows  in  the  next  verse. 
Besides,  a  denunciation  comports  not  with  what  is  said  in  that  verse, 
nor  with  the  contents  of  the  fourteenth.  If  their  glory  had  departed 
from  tlie  birth,  &c.,  how  was  it  that  the  threatening  in  the  next  verse  is, 
that  tlieir  children  should  not  grow  up  to  be  men,  and  that  tlie  Prophet 
should  pray  God  to  give  them,  in  ver.  14,  an  abortive  womb,  &c.  ? — Ed. 

VOL.  I.  T 


338  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXV. 

ruin  was  at  hand,  which  would  extinguish  the  whole  seed,  so 
that  there  would  be  nothing  remaining.  Bat  lest  they 
should  think  that  all  was  over,  when  the  Lord  had  inflicted 
on  them  one  punishment,  he  lays  down  three  gradations  ; 
that  God  Avould  slay  them  first  in  the  birth,  then  extinguish 
them  in  the  womb,  and,  lastly,  before  conception  ;  but  if  he 
spared  them,  so  that  they  would  raise  up  children,  it  would 
yet  be  Avithout  advantage,  inasmuch  as  God  would  take  away 
the  youths  in  the  flower  of  their  age.  Thus,  then,  he 
threatens  entire  destruction  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

And,  lastly,  he  closes  the  verse  in  these  Avords,  And  surely 
woe  will  be  to  them  when  I  shall  depart  from  them.  The 
Prophet  means  by  these  words,  that  men  become  miserable 
and  accursed,  when  they  alienate  themselves  from  God,  and 
when  God  takes  away  from  them  his  favour.  After  having 
mentioned  especially  the  vengeance  of  God  which  was  at 
hand,  he  says  here  that  the  cause  and  occasion  of  all  evils 
would  be,  that  God  would  depart  from  them,  inasmuch  as 
they  had  previously  renounced  their  faith  in  him.  But  we 
must  bear  in  mind  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  added  this 
clause,  and  that  is,  because  wicked  men  dream,  that  though 
God  be  displeased,  things  will  yet  go  on  prosperously  with 
them  :  for  they  neither  ascribe  adversities  to  the  wrath  of  God, 
nor  acknowledge  the  fountain  of  all  blessings  to  be  God's  free 
and  paternal  favour.  As  then  profane  men  do  not  under- 
stand this  truth,  however  much  God  may  proclaim  that  he  is 
an  enemy  to  them,  that  he  is  armed  to  destroy  them,  they 
care  nothing,  but  promise  to  themselves  a  prosperous  fortune  : 
until  they  feel  the  hand  of  God  and  the  signs  of  destruction 
appear,  they  continue  still  secure.  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  Prophet  says,  that  there  is  woe  to  men  when  God  departs 
from  them.  Forasmuch,  then,  as  Scripture  teaches  every- 
where that  every  desirable  thing  comes  and  flows  to  us  from 
the  mere  grace  of  God  and  his  paternal  favour,  so  the  Pro- 
phet declares  in  this  place,  that  men  are  miserable  and 
accursed  when  God  is  angry  with  them.     But  it  follows — 


CHAP.  IX.  13.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  339 

13.  Ephraini,  as  I  saw        13.  Ephraim,  sicut  vicU  in  Tyro  planta- 

Tyrus,^    is    planted   in    a  tarn  (sMiawrft  arborem)  in  habitaculo  :  Eph- 

pleasant   place:  but  Eph-  raim  tamen  ad  educendum  (Aoc  e?/,  educe t) 

raiui  shall  bring  forth  his  ad    excidiuoi     (ut/,     mactationem)     iilios 

chiicbrea  to  the  murderer.  suos. 

Hosea  here  confirms   his   previous    statement,    that   the 
Israelites  in  vain  trusted  in  their  present  condition,  for  the 
Lord  could  reverse  their  prosperity  whenever  it  pleased  him. 
Men,  we  know,  harden  themselves  in  their  vices,  when  they 
enjoy  their  wishes,  and  when  they  are  sunk  in  pleasures  ;  for 
prosperity  is  not  without   reason  often  compared  to  wine, 
because  it  inebriates  men ;  nay,  rather  it  dementates  them. 
We  see  what  happened  to  the  Sodomites  and  to  others  ;  yea, 
the  abuse  of  God's  forbearance  has  ever  been  the  cause  of 
destruction  to  almost  all  the   reprobate,  as  Paul  also  says. 
Such  pride  reigned  in  the  people  of  Israel,  that  they  heedlessly 
despised  all  threatenings,  as  it  has  been  already  often  stated. 
To  this  then  the  Prophet  refers  when  he  says,  Ephraim  is  like 
a  tree  planted  in   Tyrus  :  yet  he  shall  bring  forth  his  childri-n 
to  the  slaughter.     The  Pr-ophet  then  points  out  here  the  indul- 
gences of  Israel,  and  then  adds,  that  in  a  short  time  the  Lord 
would  draw  them  forth  to  judgment,  though  he  had  treated 
them  as  a  precious  tree,  by  fostering  them  gently  and  tenderly 
for  a  time. 

Some  render  this  place  thus,  "  I  have  seen  Ephraim  planted 
like  Tyrus ;"  and  they  render  the  next  word,  n*!^!!?  benue, 
"  In  pleasantness."  But  since  it  means  a  house  or  a  habita- 
tion, I  am  disposed  to  retain  its  proper  sense.  Interpreters, 
however,  vary  in  their  opinion ;  for  some  say,  "  I  have 
seen   Ephraim  like  Tyrus ;"   because   an  event  awaits  this 

1  Both  Horsley  and  Newcome  render  'Tyijiis,' '  a  rock,'  and  are  counte- 
nanced by  Aquila,  Syminachus,  and  Theodotlon  ;  and  the  Septuas'int  gi\  e 
not  the  word  'Tyrus.'  But  there  is  a  difficulty  in  this  case  to  fix 
any  meaning  to  the  words  rendered  in  our  version,  '  as  I  saw  ;'  and  all 
here  have  failed  to  give  any  satisfaction.  Hence  the  rendering  of  our 
translators,  and  of  Calvin,  seems  on  the  Avhole  to  be  the  best.  And  as 
to  the  idea  of  a  tree  put  under  cover,  it  comports  well  with  the  passage  : 
only  to  suppose  'tree'  understood  seems  nut  necessary;  for  the  word 
rendered  '  planted'  is  in  my  view  a  noun,  and  means  a  plant.  The  verse 
may  be  thus  translated  : — 

'  Ephraim  ?s,  according  to  what  I  have  seen  at  Tyrus, 

A  plant  in  a  house  : 

Yet  Ephraim  is  to  bring  forth 

To  the  slayer  his  chikb-en.' — Ed. 


340  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXV. 

people  similar  to  that  which  happened  to  Tyrus  ;  for,  as 
punishment  was  inflicted  on  Tyrus,  so  Ephraim  shall  not 
escape  unpunished.  This  Is  the  exposition  of  some,  but  in 
my  view  it  is  too  refined.  As,  however,  there  is  here  a  pre- 
position, y,  lamed,!  am  inclined  to  consider  "a  tree"  or  "plant," 
or  some  such  word,  understood.  Ephraim  then  was,  as  if 
one  beheld  a  tree  in  Tyrus,  literally,  to  Tyrus,  or  in  Tyrus. 
This  letter,  as  a  preposition,  I  allow,  is  redundant  in  many 
places  ;  and  yet  it  preserves  some  propriety,  except  when 
necessity  interferes :  and  in  this  place  what  I  have  already 
stated  is  the  most  suitable  rendering,  "  Ephraim  is  like  a  tree 
planted  in  Tyrus,  in  a  dwelling"  or  shed.  Tyrus,  we  know, 
was  built  on  an  island  in  the  sea ;  it  had  gardens  the  most 
pleasant,  but  not  formed  without  much  expense  and  labour. 
It  was  washed  on  every  side  by  the  sea ;  and  unless  mounds 
were  set  up,  the  dwellings  were  confined.  Since,  then,  it 
was  difficult  to  raise  trees  there,  much  work  and  labour  was 
doubtless  necessary,  as  it  is  usually  the  case ;  for  men  often 
struggle  with  nature.  And  if  we  say  that  Ephraim  was 
planted  like  Tyrus  in  a  dwelling,  what  can  it  mean  ?  We 
therefore  say,  that  he  was  like  a  tree  preserved  as  in  a  dwell- 
ing :  for  we  see  that  there  are  some  trees  which  cannot  bear 
the  cold  air,  and  are  kept  during  winter  in  a  house  that  they 
may  be  preserved ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  Tyrians,  who 
were  rich  and  had  a  lucrative  trade,  employed  much  care  in 
rearing  their  trees. 

The  meaning  is,  that  Ephraim  was  like  tender  trees,  pre- 
served by  men  with  great  care  and  with  much  expense  ;  but 
tbftt  *they  should  hereafter  bring  forth  their  children  for  the 
slaughter.  This  bringing  forth  is  set  in  opposition  to  the 
house  or  dwelling.  They  had  been  kept  without  danger  from 
the  cold  and  heat,  like  a  tender  tree  under  cover  ;  but  they 
would  be  constrained  to  draw  forth  their  children  to  the 
slaughter ;  that  is,  there  would  be  no  longer  any  dwelling 
for  them  to  protect  them  from  the  violence  of  their  enemies, 
*  but  that  they  would  be  drawn  forth  to  the  light. 

We  now  see  that  the  words  harmonize  well  with  the  view, 
that  the  people  of  Israel  in  vain  flattered  themselves,  because 
they  had  hitherto  been  subject  to  no  evils,  and  that  God  had 


CHAP.  IX.  14.         COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  341 

preserved  them  free  from  calamity.  There  is  no  reason,  the 
Prophet  says,  for  the  people  to  be  proud,  because  they  had 
been  hitherto  so  indulgently  treated ;  for  though  they  had 
been  like  tender  trees,  they  would  yet  be  forced  to  draw 
forth  their  children  to  be  killed.  And  this  comparison,  which 
he  amplifies,  is  what  often  occurs  in  Scripture.  ^  If  Jehoia- 
kim  were  as  a  ring  on  my  right  hand,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
Avould  pluck  him  thence.'^  Men  are  wont  to  abuse  even  the 
promises  of  God.  As  king  Jehoiakim  was  of  the  posterity  of 
David,  he  thought  it  impossible  that  his  enemies  could  ever 
deprive  him  of  his  kingdom ;  "  But  it  shall  not  be  so ;  for 
though  he  Avere  as  a  ring  on  ray  hand,  I  would  pluck 
him  thence."  So  also  in  this  place  ;  ''  Though  the  Israelites 
had  been  hitherto  brought  up  in  my  bosom,  and  though  I 
have  kindly  given  them  all  kinds  of  blessings,  and  though 
they  have  been  like  tender  trees,  yet  their  condition  here- 
after shall  be  entirely  different."     Then  it  follows — 

14.  Give  them,  O  Lord  :  what  14.  Da  illis,  Jehova  :  qniddaSis? 
wilt  thou  give  ?  Give  them  a  mis-  Da  illis  vulvam  abortientem  ("e/, 
carrying  womb  and  diy  breasts.         interticere  facientem)  et  ubera  arida. 

Interpretei'S  translate  these  words  in  a  different  way : 
"  Give  them  what  thou  art  about  to  give,"  then  they  repeat, 
"  Give  them  ;"  but,  as  I  think,  they  do  not  comprehend  the 
design  of  the  Prophet,  and  are  wholly  mistaken ;  for  the 
Prophet  appears  here  as  one  anxious  and  perplexed.  He 
therefore  presents  himself  here  before  God  as  a  suppliant,  as 
though  he  said,  "  Lord,  I  would  gladly  intercede  for  this 
people  :  what  then  is  it  that  I  should  chiefly  desire  for  them  ? 
Doubtless  my  chief  wish  for  them  in  their  miserable  disper- 
sion is,  that  thou  wouldest  give  them  a  killing  womb  and 
dry  breasts ;"  that  is,  that  none  may  be  born  of  them. 
Christ  says,  that  when  the  last  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
should  come,  the  barren  would  be  blessed,  (Luke  xxiii.  29  ;) 
and  this  he  took  from  the  common  doctrine  of  Scri])ture,  for 
many  such  passages  may  be  observed  in  the  Prophets. 
Among  the  blessings  of  God,  this,  we  know,  is  not  the  least, 

^  Jer.  xxii.  24.     There  is  a  mistake  here.    The  text  is,   '  Coniah  the 
son  of  Jehoiakim.' — Ed. 


342  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXV. 

the  birth  of  a  numerous  offspring.  It  is,  therefore,  a  token 
of  dreadful  judgment,  when  barrenness,  which  in  itself  is 
deemed  a  curse,  is  desired  as  an  especial  blessing.  For  what 
can  be  more  miserable  than  for  infants  to  be  snatched  from 
their  mothers'  bosom  ?  and  for  children  to  be  killed  before 
their  eyes,  or  for  pregnant  women  to  be  slain  ?  or  for  cities 
and  fields  to  be  consumed  by  fire,  so  that  children,  not  yet 
born,  should  perish  together  with  their  mothers  ?  But  all 
these  things  happen  when  there  is  an  utter  destruction. 

We  hence  see  what  the  Frophet  chiefly  meant :  the  state 
of  the  people  would  be  so  deplorable,  that  nothing  could  be 
more  desirable  than  the  barrenness  of  the  women,  that  no 
offspring  might  be  afterwards  born,  but  that  the  name  and 
memory  of  the  people  might  by  degrees  be  blotted  out. 

He  has,  indeed,  already  denounced  punishments  suflS- 
clently  grievous  and  dreadful ;  but  we  know  that  the  con- 
tumacy and  hardness  of  those  are  very  great  on  whom 
religion  has  no  hold.  Hence  all  threatenings  were  derided 
by  that  obstinate  people.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet 
now  takes  the  part  of  an  intercessor.  '  O  Lord,'  he  adds, 
'  give  them  ;'  that  is,  "  O  Lord,  forgive  them  at  least  in  some 
measure,  and  grant  them  yet  something."  And  '  what  wilt 
thou  give?'  Here  he  reasons  with  himself,  being  as  it 
were  in  suspense  and  perplexity ;  and  he  also  reasons  with 
God  as  to  what  would  be  the  most  desirable  thing.  ''  I  am 
indeed  a  suppliant  for  my  own  nation,  whom  I  pity ;  but 
what  shall  I  ask?  I  would  wish  thee,  Lord,  to  pardon  this 
people  ;  but  what  shall  be  the  way,  what  can  give  me  com- 
fort, or  what  sort  of  remedy  yet  remains  ?  Certainly  I  see 
nothing  better  than  that  they  should  be  barren,  that  none 
hereafter  should  be  born  of  them  ;  but  that  thou  shouldest 
suff'er  them  to  consume  and  die  away ;  for  this  will  be 
their  chief  happiness  in  a  condition  so  deplorable."  It  was 
then  the  Prophet's  design  here,  to  strike  hypocrites  and  pro- 
fane men  with  terror,  that  they  might  understand  that  God's 
vengeance,  w^hich  was  at  hand,  could  by  no  means  be  fully 
expressed ;  for  it  would  be  the  best  thing  for  them  to  be 
deprived  of  the  blessing  of  an  offspring,  that  their  infants 
might  not  perish  with  them,  that  they  might  not  see  women 


CHAP.  IX.  15.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  343 

with  child  cruelly  slain  by  their  enemies,  or  their  children 
led  away  as  a  spoil.  That  such  things  as  these  might  not 
take  place,  the  Prophet  says,  that  barrenness  ought  to  be  de- 
sired by  them  as  the  chief  blessing.  The  Prophet,  I  doubt 
not,  meant  this.    It  now  follows — 

15.  All  their  wicked-  15.  Omue  malum  coram  in  Gilgal,  quia  illic 

ness   is  in    Gilgal :    for  odium  concepi  contra  eos  :  super  rcalitia  (re/, 

there  I  hated  them :  for  propter  malitiam)  operuni  ipsorum,  e  dome 

the  wickedness  of  their  mea ejiciam  eos  :  uon  pergam  amare  eos:  om- 

doings  I  will  drive  them  nes  priu(;ipes   eorum    sunt    defectores   (per- 

out  of  my  house,  I  will  fidi.) 

love  them  no  more :  all  Est  autem  elegans  paranomasia  in  verho 

their  princes  are  revolt-  ^'<y^  et  D^T)itJ»,  qua  etiam  utitur  Isaias  primo 

ers.  capite. 

He  says  first,  that  all  their  evil  was  in  Gilgal;  though 
they  thought  that  they  had  the  best  pretence  for  offering 
there  their  sacrifices  to  God's  honour,  because  it  had  been 
from  old  times  a  sacred  place.  He  had  said  before  that  they 
had  multiplied  to  themselves  altars  to  sin,  and  by  these  to 
give  way  to  sins ;  he  now  repeats  the  same  in  other  words. 
All  their  evil,  he  says,  is  in  Gilgal;  as  though  he  said,  "They 
indeed  obtrude  on  me  their  sacrifices,  which  they  offer  in 
Gilgal,  and  think  that  they  avail  to  excuse  all  their  wicked- 
ness. I  might,  perhaps,  forgive  them,  if  they  were  given  to 
plunder  and  cruelty,  and  were  perfidious  and  fraudulent,  pro- 
vided pure  worship  had  continued  among  them,  and  religion 
had  not  been  so  entirely  adulterated ;  but  as  they  have 
changed  whatever  I  commanded  in  my  law,  and  turned  this 
celebrated  place  to  be  the  seat  of  the  basest  impiety,  so  that 
it  is  become,  as  it  were,  a  brothel,  where  religion  is  prosti- 
tuted, it  is  hence  evident,  that  the  whole  of  their  wickedness 
is  in  Gilgal." 

It  is  certain  that  the  people  were  also  addicted  to  other 
crimes ;  but  the  word  7^,  caZ,  all,  is  to  be  taken  for  what  is 
chief  or  principal.  The  Prophet  speaks  comparatively,  not 
simply  ;  as  though  he  had  said,  that  this  corruption  of  offer- 
ing sacrifices  at  Gilgal  was  more  abominable  in  the  sight  of 
God  than  adulteries,  or  plunder,  or  frauds,  or  unjust  violence, 
or  any  crime  that  prevailed  among  them.     Their  whole  evil 


344  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXV. 

then  was  at  Gilgal.  But  why  the  Prophet  speaks  thus,  I 
have  lately  explained ;  and  that  is,  because  superstitious  men 
put  forth  their  own  devices,  when  God  reproves  them,  "  O  ! 
we  have  still  many  exercises  of  religion."  They  bring  for- 
ward these  by  way  of  compensation.  But  the  Lord  shows 
that  he  is  far  more  grievously  offended  with  these  supersti- 
tions, with  which  hypocrites  cover  themselves  as  with  a 
shield,  than  with  a  life  void  of  every  appearance  of  religion : 
for  "  these,"  he  says,  "  I  conceived  a  hatred  against  them,  on 
account  of  the  wickedness  of  their  works." 

Here  again  the  Prophet  condemns  what  men  think  to  be 
their  special  holiness.  Who  indeed  can  persuade  hypocrites 
that  their  fictitious  modes  of  worship  are  the  greatest  abomi- 
nations ?  Nay,  they  even  extol  and  imagine  themselves  to  be 
like  angels,  and,  as  it  were,  cover  all  their  wickedness  with 
these  disguises ;  as  we  see  to  be  the  case  with  the  Papists, 
who  think,  that  when  they  obtrude  on  God  their  many 
masses  and  other  devised  forms,  every  sort  of  wickedness  is 
redeemed.  Since  then  hypocrites  are  thus  wont  to  put  on  a 
disguise  before  God,  and  at  the  same  time  flatter  themselves, 
the  Prophet  here  declares  that  they  are  the  more  hated  by 
God  for  this  very  wickedness,  of  daring  to  corrupt  and  adul- 
terate his  pure  worship. 

He  then  adds,  /  will  eject  them  from  my  house.  When  God 
threatens  to  eject  Israel  from  his  house,  it  is  the  same  as 
though  he  said,  "  I  will  wholly  cast  you  away ;"  as  when  one 
cuts  off  a  Avithered  branch  from  a  tree,  or  a  diseased  member 
from  the  body.  It  is  indeed  certain  that  the  Israelites  were 
then  like  bastards  ;  for  they  were  not  worthy  of  any  account 
or  station  in  the  Church,  inasmuch  as  they  had  a  strange 
temple  and  profane  sacrifices ;  but  as  circumcision,  and  the 
priesthood  in  name,  still  remained  among  them,  they  boasted 
themselves  to  be  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  a  holy  people; 
hence  the  Prophet  denounces  here  such  a  destruction,  that  it 
might  appear  that  they  in  vain  gloried  in  these  superior  dis- 
tinctions, for  God  would  expunge;  them  from  his  catalogue. 
We  now  understand  the  design  of  the  Prophet :  but  we  shall, 
to-morrow,  notice  the  remaining  portion. 


CHAP.  IX.  15.         COMMENTARIES  ON  H08EA.  345 


PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as  thou  hast  freely  embraced 
us  in  thy  only- begotten  Son,  and  made  us,  from  being  the  sons 
and  race  of  Adam,  a  holy  and  blessed  seed,  and  as  we  have  not 
hitherto  ceased  to  alienate  om-selves  from  the  grace  thou  hast 
offered  to  us, — O  gi-ant,  that  we  may  hereafter  so  return  to  a 
sound  mind,  as  to  cleave  faithfully  and  with  sincere  affection  of 
heart  to  thy  Son,  and  so  retain  by  this  bond  thy  love,  and  be 
also  retained  in  the  grace  of  adoption,  that  thy  name  may  be 
glorified  by  us  as  long  as  we  sojourn  in  this  world,  until  thou 
at  length  gatherest  us  into  thy  celestial  kingdom,  which  has 
been  piuxhased  for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy  Son.    Amen. 


ILtctxtvt  srtoaitgssutij* 

We  stated  yesterday  how  God  expels  from  his  house  those 
who  ought  to  have  been  deemed  to  be  ah-eady  among  such 
as  ai'e  without :  for  hypocrites  always  invent  coverings  for 
themselves,  until  the  Lord  himself  openly  shows  to  them  their 
baseness.  It  is  therefore  necessary  that  what  they  seem  to 
have,  as  Christ  also  declares  respecting  hypocrites,  should  be 
taken  away  from  them,  (Matth.  xiii.  12.) 

It  then  follows, — /  will  not  proceed  on  to  love  them.  A 
question  may  be  moved  here — why  does  God  speak  thus  of 
his  love  ?  for  he  had  already  ceased  to  love  that  people,  as  it 
maybe  fully  gathered  from  facts. — Though  this  saying  may  not 
be  strictly  correct,  yet  it  is  not  unsuitable.  Profane  men, 
and  those  Avho  are  in  love  with  worldly  things,  estimate  the 
love  of  God  by  present  appearances.  When  the  Lord  feeds 
them  well  and  plentifully,  when  they  enjoy  their  pleasures, 
when  they  have  no  troubles  to  bear,  they  think  themselves 
to  be  most  acceptable  to  God.  Such  was  the  case  with  this 
people,  as  it  has  been  already  often  stated,  as  long  as  the 
Lord  suspended  his  vengeance  ;  and  this  was  especially  the 
case  under  king  Jeroboam  the  second,  for  we  know  that  the 
Lord  then  spared  and  greatly  favoured  them.  It  was  then  a 
certain  kind  of  love,  when  the  Lord  thus  cherished  them,  and 
allured  them  to  repentance  by  the  sweetness  of  his  goodness. 
But  now,  as  he  sees  them  to  be  growing  harder  and  harder,  he 


346  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVI. 

says,  "  I  will  not  continue  my  love  towards  them ;  for  I  will 
now  really  show  that  I  am  angry  with  them,  as  I  see  that  I 
have  done  nothing  by  my  forbearance,  which  they  do  in  a 
manner  laugh  to  scorn."  Thus  we  see  that  men  are  rejected 
by  God  nearly  in  the  same  way,  when  he  exterminates  them 
from  his  Church,  as  when  he  withdraws  his  blessing,  which 
is,  as  it  were,  the  pledge  and  symbol  of  his  love. 

The  reason  afterwards  follows.  Because  their  princes  are 
•perfidious :  and  this  is  expressly  mentioned,  for  it  was  needful 
that  the  origin  of  the  evil  should  be  stated.     The  Prophet 
then   shows  here  that  corruptions  originated  not  with  the 
common  people,  but  with  the  princes.     Now  we  know  for 
what  end  God  would  have  rank  and  dignity  to  exist  among 
men,  and  that  is,  that  there  might  be  something  like  a  bridle 
to  restrain  the  waywardness  of  the  multitude.     "When,  there- 
fore, princes  become  leaders  to  every  wickedness,  all  things 
must  then  go  on  in  the  worst  manner ;  for  what  ought  to  be 
a  remedy  becomes  the   cause  of  ruin.     This,  then,  is  what 
the  Prophet  meant  in  the  first  place.     But  by  accusing  the 
princes  he  does  not  absolve  the  people  ;  but,  as  it  has  been 
said  in  another  place,  he  intimates  that  they  must  have  been 
very  Wind,  when  they  suffered  themselves  to  be  drawn  into 
the  ditch  by  the  blind :  for  the  people  doubtless  went  astray 
of  their  own  accord  and  willingly,  though  they  had  erring 
leaders ;  and  though,  as  it  has  appeared  elsewhere,  they  anxi- 
ously sought  excuses  for  their  errors.      But  we  may  hence 
learn  how   frivolous  is  the  excuse  of  those  who  at  this  day 
exculpate  themselves  by  the  pretext  of  obeying  princes  and 
bishops  ;  for  the  Lord  here  denounces  punishment  on  the 
whole  people,  because  the  princes  were  perfidious.     If  it  be 
80,  we  see  that  the  whole  body  is  involved,  when  wicked 
leaders  rule  and  draw  the  people  from  the  right  way ;  yea, 
when  they  precipitate  them  into  the  same  transgressions,  and 
carry  them  along  with  them.     When,  therefore,  there  is  such 
a    confusion,    universal    punishment,    which    consumes    all 
together,  must  follow.     Let  us  proceed — 

16.  Epliraim  is  smitten,  their  root  16.  PercussusestEphraim, radix 
is  dried  up,  tliey  shall  bear  no  fruit;  eorum  exaiuit,  fructuni  non  faci- 
yea,  though  they  bring  forth,  yet  will    ent :     etiamsi    genuerint,    tunc 


GHAP.IX.  16,  17.     COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  347 

I  slay  even  the  beloved  fruit  of  their    interficiam     desiderabilia    uteri 
womb.  ipsorum. 

The  Prophet  again  threatens  extreme  vengeance  to  the 
Israelites.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  same  sentence  is  so  often 
repeated  ;  for  hypocrites,  we  know,  too  much  flatter  them- 
selves, and  are  not  frightened  even  by  the  most  grievous 
threatenings.  As  then  hypocrites  are  so  stupid,  they  must 
be  often,  nay,  frequently  pricked,  and  most  sharply,  that  they 
may  at  length  be  awakened  out  of  their  torpor.  Hence 
the  Prophet  repeats  the  threatenings  which  he  had  often 
before  announced,  and  says,  that  Israel  had  been  so  smittejij 
that  their  root  had  dried  up.  The  comparison  is  taken  from  a 
tree,  which  not  only  has  had  its  branches  cut  off,  but  has 
also  been  torn  from  the  roots.  The  meaning  is,  that  God 
would  take  such  vengeance  on  this  miserable  people,  as  wholly 
to  destroy  them,  without  any  hope  of  recovery.  The  root 
then  is  dried  up,  they  will  produce  fruit  no  more. 

He  then  leaves  this  similitude  or  metaphor,  and  says.  If 
they  generate,  I  will  slay  the  desirable  fruit  of  their  womb ;  that 
is,  though  some  seed  be  begotten,  I  will  yet  destroy  it. 

We  now  then  apprehend  the  design  of  the  Prophet,  which 
was  to  show,  that  the  Lord  would  no  more  be  content  with 
some  moderate  punishment,  for  he  had  often  found  that  this 
abandoned  people  were  in  vain  chastised  by  paternal  love ; 
but  that  extreme  vengeance  awaited  them,  which  would  con- 
sume not  only  the  men,  but  also  their  children,  so  that  no 
residue  slioidd  remain.     The  reason  is  afterwards  added — 

17.  My  God  will  cast  them  away,         17.    Abjiciet   eos  mens  Deus, 

because  they  did  not  hearken  unto  quia  non  audierunt  eum  (re/,  noa 

him :  and  they  shall  be  wanderers  obedierunt    el,  ut  sit  clarius,)  et 

among  the  nations.  eruut  vagi  inter  geutes. 

The  Prophet,  as  I  have  lately  hinted,  assigns  a  reason  why 
God  had  resolved  to  deal  so  severely  with  this  people,  namely, 
because  he  saw  their  untameable  perverseness.  For  the  Pro- 
phets always  defend  the  justice  of  God  against  the  impious 
complaints  of  those  men  who  murmur  whenever  God  severely 
punishes  them,  and  cry  out  that  he  is  cruel,  and  exceeds  mo- 
deration. The  Prophets  do  therefore  shut  up  the  mouth  of 
the  ungodly,  that  they  may  not  vomit  out  their  blasphemies 


348  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVI. 

against  God;  and  the  Prophet  is  now  on  this  subject.  Hence 
he  says,  that  destruction  was  nigh  the  Israelites,  because  God 
had  rejected  them  ;  for  the  verb  DX/!^?  mas,  means  to  reject, 
to  cast  away,  to  despise.  As  long  then  as  the  Lord  vouch- 
safed to  care  for  this  people,  they  possessed  at  least  some 
eminence  ;  but  the  Prophet  says  that  now  they  were  wholly 
cast  away.     "What  then  remained  for  them  but  entire  ruin  ? 

And  he  says.  My  God  will  cast  them  away.  By  this  ex- 
pression he  claims  authority  to  himself,  and  thunders  against 
the  whole  people  ;  for  though  the  whole  worship  of  God  was 
shamefully  corrupted  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  they  yet 
boasted  that  they  were  the  holy  seed  of  Abraham,  and  the 
name  of  God  was  as  yet  ready  in  every  mouth,  as  we  know 
that  the  ungodly  take  to  themselves  the  liberty  of  profaning 
the  name  of  God  without  any  hesitation  or  shame.  Since 
then  this  false  glorying  prevailed  as  yet  among  the  Israelites, 
the  Prophet  says,  "  He  is  no  more  your  God,  mine  he  is." 
Thus  he  placed  himself  on  one  side,  and  set  himself  alone  in 
opposition  to  the  whole  people.  But  at  the  same  time  he 
proves  that  he  has  more  authority  than  they  all ;  for  he  brings 
forward  God  as  the  supporter  and  defender  of  his  doctrine. 
'■  My  God,'  he  says,  '  will  cast  them  away.'  So  also  Isaiah 
says,  when  reproving  Ahaz,  '  Is  it  not  enough  that  ye  be 
troublesome  to  men,  except  ye  be  also  troublesome  to  my 
God  ?'  (Isaiah  vii.  13.)  And  yet  Isaiah  was  not  the  only  one 
who  worshipped  God  purely.  This  is  true;  but  he  had  respect 
to  the  king  and  his  company ;  and  therefore  he  connected 
himself  with  God,  and  separated  them  all  from  himself,  in- 
asmuch as  they  had  already  by  their  perfidy  separated  them- 
selves from  him. 

Then  he  says,  '  My  God  will  cast  them  away.'  So  at  this 
day  we  may  safely  take  the  name  of  God  in  opposition  to  the 
Papists  ;  for  they  have  nothing  in  common  with  the  true  God, 
since  they  have  polluted  themselves  with  so  many  abomina- 
tions :  and  though  they  may  be  proud  against  us,  trusting  in 
their  vast  multitude,  and  because  we  are  few ;  yet  we  may 
boldly  oppose  them,  since  God,  we  know,  can  never  be  sepa- 
rated nor  drawn  away  from  his  word ;  and  his  word,  we 
know,  stands  on  our  side.     We  may  then  lawfully  reprove 


CHAP.  X.  1.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  349 

the  Papists,  and  say  tha.t  God  is  opposed  to  tliem,  for  we 
fight  under  his  banner. 

Because,  he  says,  they  have  not  obeyed  me.  We  see  that  the 
cause  of  extreme  vengeance  is  perverseness ;  that  is,  when 
men  designedly  harden  their  hearts  against  God.  The  Gen- 
tiles also  perish,  indeed,  without  any  instruction  ;  but  ven- 
geance is  doubled,  when  the  Lord  extends  his  hand  to  the 
erring,  and  seeks  to  recall  them  to  the  way  of  salvation,  and 
when  they  obstinately  refuse  to  obey ;  yea,  when  they  show 
their  heart  to  be  perverse  in  their  wickedness.  When,  then, 
such  perverseness  is  added  to  errors  and  vicious  affections, 
God  must  necessarily  come  forth  with  his  extreme  vengeance, 
as  he  threatens  here  by  his  Prophet. 

As,  then,  they  obeyed  not,  the  Lord  will  cast  them  away, 
and  they  shall  be  fugitives  among  the  nations.  This  seems  to 
be  a  lighter  punishment  than  what  he  had  previously  stated 
respecting  their  seed  being  destroyed.  But  we  must  remem- 
ber the  contrast  between  the  rest  given  them  by  God,  and 
this  vagrant  wandering,  of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks. 
The  land  of  Canaan  was  to  them  a  quiet  habitation,  where 
they  rested  as  though  God  cherished  them  imder  his  wings  ; 
and  hence  it  is  even  called  the  rest  of  God  in  Ps.  xcv.  But 
now,  when  the  Israelites  wandered  as  fugitives,  and  sought 
rest  here  and  there,  and  could  not  find  it,  it  was  more  evi- 
dently a  rejection  of  them  ;  for  the  Lord  proved,  every  day 
and  every  moment,  that  they  were  repudiated  by  him,  inas- 
much as  they  were  deprived  of  that  rest  which  he  had  pro- 
mised them.    Let  us  proceed — 


CHAPTER  X. 

1.  Israel  is  an  empty  vine,  1.  Vites  spoliata  Israel,  fructum  ponet 
he  bringeth  forth  fruit  unto  sibi :  secundum  multitudinem  fructus  sui 
himself:  according  to  the  multiplicavit  altaria  (in  altaribns  mul- 
multitude  of  his  fruit  he  tiplicavit  ;)  secundum  bonitatem  {hoc 
hath  increased  the  altars  ;  est^  proventum  fertilem)  terrai  suse  be- 
according  to  the  goodness  of  nefecerunt  in  statuis  («///,  bonas  fecerunt 
his  land  they  have  made  statuas  ;  sed  prior  versio  mild  magis  pro- 
goodly  images.  baturi) 

Interpreters  explain  this  verse  in  various  ways.  Those 
•who  think  '0'0\2,  bukoh,  here  applied  to  the  vine,  means 


350  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPnETS.        LECT.  XXVI. 

"  empty,"  are  mistaken  ;  for  the  Prophet  means  rather,  that 
Israel  was  like  a  vine,  which  is  robbed  after  the  ingathering 
is  come  :  for  the  word  pp^,  bekok,  means  properly  to  pillage, 
or  to  plunder.  But  the  Prophet  compares  the  gathering  of 
grapes  to  robbing  ;  and  this  view  best  suits  the  place.  He 
says,  then,  that  Israel  is  like  a  robbed  vine ;  for  it  was  stripped 
of  its  fruit ;  and  then  he  adds,  He  loill  make  fruit  for  himself. 
The  verb  TW^^  shiie,  means  to  equal ;  and  many  render  it 
thus, — "  He  will  equalize  fruit  to  himself,"  or,  "  fruit  has  been 
equalled  to  him."  But  this  rendering  brings  out  no  clear 
sense.  I  rather  follow  those  who  render  it,  "  to  lay  up." 
This  verb  means  also  sometimes  "  to  lie  ;"  at  least  some  thus 
render  the  clause,  "  Fruit  will  lie  to  him :"  and  though,  in 
the  sense  of  lying,  it  has  a  different  final  letter,  J^lEi^,  shua,  it 
is  yet  said  to  be  derived  from  this  root,  so  that  there  is  a 
change  of  X  into  Hj  as  grammarians  think  :  and  yet  it  does 
not  seem  probable  that  Xlt^j  skua,  means  to  lie.  But  they 
elicit  this  sense,  "  Israel  is  a  plundered  vine  ;  therefore  fruit 
will  lie  to  him ;"  that  is,  it  will  bring  no  produce,  for  that 
will  happen  to  it  which  is  wont  to  be,  when  robbers  have 
laid  waste  fields  and  vineyards.  But  as  I  have  said  already, 
some  more  correctly  render  it,  "  to  lay  up  ;"  He  will  lay  up 
fruit  for  himself.  Some,  however,  read  the  sentence  as  a 
question, — "  Will  Israel  lay  up  fruit  for  himself?"  Then  the 
sense  is,  that  Israel  was  so  plundered,  that  no  restitution 
could  be  hoped  for.  But  these  interpreters  do  not  seem  to 
understand  the  mind  of  the  Prophet. 

I  collect  a  different  meaning  from  the  words,  and  that  is, 
that  Israel  would  lay  up  fruit  for  himself  after  the  robbing, 
and  sacred  history  confirms  this  view  :  for  this  people,  we 
know,  had  been  in  various  ways  chastised;  so,  however,  that 
they  gathered  new  strength.  For  the  Lord  intended  only  to 
admonish  them  gently,  that  they  might  be  healed;  but 
nothing,  as  it  has  before  appeared,  was  effected  by  God's 
moderation.  The  case,  hoAvever,  was  so,  that  Israel  produced 
new  fruit,  as  a  vine,  after  having  been  robbed  one  year,  brings 
forth  a  new  vintage ;  for  one  ingathering  does  not  kill  the 
vine.  Thus  also  Israel  did  lay  up  fruit  for  himself;  that  is, 
after  the  Lord  had  collected  there  his  vintage,  he  again  fa- 
voured the  people  with  his  blessing,  and,  as  it  were,  restored 


CHAP.  X.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  351 

them  anew ;  as  vines  in  the  spring  throw  out  their  branches, 
and  then  produce  fruit.' 

But  what  did  happen  ?  According  to  the  abundance  of  his 
fruit,  he  says,  he  multiplied  his  altars.  Here  God  complains, 
that  Israel,  after  having  been  once  gathered,  went  on  in  his 
own  wickedness.  Chastisements  oug^ht  at  least  to  have 
availed  so  much  as  to  induce  Israel  to  betake  himself  to  the 
pure  worship  of  God.  But  God  not  only  reproves  the  people 
here  for  having  been  always  obstinate,  but  also  for  having,  as 
it  were  designedly,  increased  their  vices.  For  it  was  like  a 
horrible  conspiracy  against  God  for  the  people,  as  soon  as 
they  acquired  new  strength,  to  multiply  altars  to  themselves, 
when  yet  the  Lord  had  already  shown,  by  clear  evidences, 
that  fictitious  modes  of  worship  did  not  please  him ;  nay,  that 
they  were  to  him  the  greatest  abominations.  We  now  ap- 
prehend the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  Then  Israel,  a  robbed 
vine,  multiplied  altars  for  himself;  that  is,  Israel  has  indeed 
been  gathered,  but  the  Lord  restored  to  him  wealth  and 
abundance  of  provisions,  and  whatever  appertains  to  a  safe 
and  happy  condition  ;  has  Israel  become  better  through  cor- 

^  Much  difference  exists  among  critics  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  tTvo 
first  clauses  of  this  verse.  The  two  words  which  create  the  difficulty  are 
pp13  find  niK>'  The  tirst  word  in  the  three  other  places,  Isa.  xxiv.  1,  Jer. 
li.  2,  and  Nah.  ii.  2,  where  it  alone  occurs,  means,  "  to  empty  thoroughly," 
or  ''  to  make  wholly  empty :"  and  when  applied  to  the  vine,  as  here,  it 
seems  to  signify  a  vine  that  fully  empties  itself  of  its  juices,  so  as  to  bear 
fruit  abundantly.  This  view  is  favoured  by  the  Septuagint,  evxAw.ast- 
rovix,  ■well- branching,  luxuriant,  and  by  Symmachns,  vMi^otvovaa.,  wildly 
luxuriant,  and  is  adopted  by  Bishop  Horsley^  who  renders  it,  "  yielding." 
The  other  word,  ^1C^^  means  "  to  equal,"  or  "  to  be  equal,"  and  in  no  case, 
properly,  "  to  lay  up,"  as  Calvin  takes  it.  Then  the  literal  rendering  of 
these  words,  i"?  n1t^'^  ''"ID)  is,  "  the  fruit  is  equal  to  it ;"  i.  e.,  the  fruit  is 
suitable  to  the  vine,  or,  "  it  makes  finiit  equal  to  itself:"  and  with  this 
meaning  correspond  tlie  words  in  the  Septuagint,  o  xoc^Trog  iu^nvuti 
avT-n;, — "  its  fruit  is  exuberant."  The  following  appears  to  be  the  literal 
rendering  of  the  verse  : — 

"  A  vine,  emptying  itself,  is  Israel, 
It  makes  fruit  equal  to  itself: 
According  to  the  abundance  of  his  fruit, 
He  has  abounded  towards  altars  ; 
According  to  the  goodness  of  his  land, 
He  has  made  statues  good." 

Or,  if  we  would  coin  a  word  to  correspond  with  the  original,  the  two 
last  lines  may  be  thus  translated  : — 

"  According  to  the  goodness  of  his  land, 
He  has  goodnized  statues." — Ed, 


352  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVI. 

rection  ?  Has  he  repented  after  the  Lord  has  so  mercifully 
withdrawn  his  hand  ?  By  no  means,  he  says ;  but  he  has 
multipHed  altars  for  himself,  he  has  become  worse  than  he 
was  wont  to  be ;  and  according  to  the  goodness  of  his  land,  he 
has  been  doing  good  in  statues. 

Now  this  is  a  very  useful  doctrine ;  for  we  see  how  the 
Lord  forbears  in  inflicting  punishments — he  does  not  execute 
them  with  the  utmost  rigour;  for  as  soon  as  he  lays  on  a 
few  stripes,  he  withholds  his  hand.  But  how  do  they  act 
who  are  thus  moderately  chastised?  As  soon  as  they  can 
recruit  their  spirits,  they  are  carried  away  by  a  more  head- 
strong inclination,  and  grow  insolent  against  God.  We  see 
this  evil  prevalent  in  the  world  even  in  our  day,  as  it  has 
been  in  all  ages.  We  need  not  wonder,  then,  that  the  Pro- 
phet here  expostulates  with  the  people  of  Israel :  but  it  is,  at 
the  same  time,  right  for  us  to  apply  the  doctrine  for  our  own 
instruction.  Though,  then,  the  Lord  should  spare  us,  and, 
after  having  begun  to  chastise  us,  should  soon  show  indul- 
gence, and  restore  us  as  it  were  anew,  let  us  beware  lest  a 
forgetfulness  of  our  former  sins  should  creep  over  us  ;  but  let 
his  chastisements  exert  over  us  an  influence,  even  after  God 
has  put  a  limit  and  an  end  to  them.  For  the  import  of  what 
the  Pi'ophet  teaches  is  this,  that  men  are  not  to  forget  the 
wrath  of  God,  though  he  may  not  always,  or  continually,  lay 
on  stripes,  but  to  consider  that  the  Lord  deals  thus  gently 
that  they  may  have  more  time  to  repent,  and  that  a  truce  is 
granted  them  that  they  may  more  quietly  reflect  on  their  sins. 

But  he  says.  According  to  the  goodness  of  their  land,  they 
have  been  doing  good  in  statues.  I  have  before  stated,  that 
some  take  this  as  meaning,  that  they  made  good  statues,  and 
consider  "  good  "  to  be  elegant.  But  I  repeat  the  preposition 
7,  lamed,  before  altars.  When  the  Prophet  said,  that  Israel 
multiplied  altars  to  himself,  the  literal  reading  is,  that  he 
multiplied  in  altars,  or  as  to  altars  ;  that  is,  he  did  much,  or 
very  liberally  spent  money  on  altars.  So  also  here,  it  is  pro- 
per to  repeat,  that  they  did  good  as  to  statues.  But  a  con- 
cession is  made  in  the  verb  1!l''t3Ttj  eithibu ;'  for  it  is  certain 

^  The  final  •)  is  left  out  in  one  copy,  and  the  omission  is  countenanced 
by  the  Septuagint. — Ed. 


CIIAr.  X.  2,  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  353 

that  they  grievously  sinned  ;  they  would  not  have  provoked 
the  wrath  of  God  had  they  not  dealt  wickedly  in  altars  and 
statues.  But  the  Prophet  speaks  ironically  of  the  perverted 
worship  of  God,  as  when  we  say  at  this  day,  that  the  Papists 
are  mad  in  their  good  intentions  :  when  I  call  intentions 
good,  I  concede  to  them  a  character  which  does  not  rightly 
belong  to  them.  It  is  therefore  according  to  their  sense  that 
the  Prophet  speaks  here ;  but  he  says,  ironically,  that  they 
did  good  in  statues  ;  that  is,  that  they  seemed  to  themselves 
to  be  the  most  holy  worshippers  of  God ;  for  they  made  a 
show  of  great  zeal.  It  was,  as  they  say,  insane  devotion. 
But  there  appeared  here  something  more  than  blind  hardness, 
inasmuch  as  they  had  so  soon  forgotten  the  Lord's  dis- 
pleasure, of  which  they  had  been  reminded  by  evident  tokens. 
We  now  then  perceive  the  object  of  the  Prophet,  and  what 
is  the  application  of  his  doctrine.     Let  us  go  on — 

2.  Their  heart  2.  Divisiim  est  (vel,  so  clivisit)  cor  cornm :  nunc 
is  divided :  now  convicti  ei'iuit  (alii,  peribunt ;  ncan  Qt;'X  utrunque 
shall  they  be  siynijicat ;  refertur  turn  ad  cidparn  qtihm  ad.  j)anam  : 
found  faulty :  he  sed mlhi prubatur  eonim  sententia  qui  rertunt^  Nunc  con- 
shall  break  down  victi  crunt,  hoccst^  Nunc  erunt  scelerati ;  qiiemadmodmn 
their  altars,  he  ctiam  shnile  examplum  jam  vidimus  capitc  5,  nisi 
shall  spoil  their  fallor:  Nunc  e;'^o  convicti  crunt :)  ipse  evcrtet  altaria 
images.  eorum,  destruet  statnas  ipsorum. 

He  says,  first,  that  their  heart  was  divided,  that  is,  from  God  ; 
for  this,  we  know,  is  principally  required,  that  people  should 
faithfully  cleave  to  their  God.     "  And  now  Israel,  what  does 
thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  cleave  to  him  with  the  whole 
heart  ?"     Since  God  then  binds  us  to  himself  by  a  holy  union, 
it  is  the  summit  of  all  wickedness,  when  our  heart  is  divided 
from  him,   as  it  is,   when  an  unchaste  and  perfidious  wife 
alienates  her  affection  from  her  husband.     For  as  lonir  as  the 
husband  keeps  the  heart  of  his  wife,  as  it  were,  tied  to  him- 
self, conjugal  fidelity  and  chastity  continue ;  but  when  her 
heart  is  divided  from  her  husband,  it  is  all  over,  and  she 
abandons  herself  to  lewdness.    So  also  the  Prophet  says  here, 
that  the  heart  of  the  people  was  divided  liom  God ;  for  they 
did  not  devote  themselves  to  God  with  a  pure  and  sincere 
affection,  as  they  ought  to  have  done.      "  This  j)ooplc  then 
have  withdrawn  their  heart  from  me." 

VOL.  I.  z 


354  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        EECT.  XXYI. 

But  he  says,  Noio  they  shall  be  guilty  ;  that  is,  I  will  now 
show  what  they  deserve,  so  that  they  shall  not  hereafter,  as 
they  are  wont  to  do,  sport  with  their  cavils ;  for  the  verb 
D^J^5  asheruy  is  not  to  be  referred  to  the  deed,  but  rather,  as 
they  say,  to  its  manifestation.  Then  he  says  that  they  shall 
be  guilty,  for  they  shall  be  convicted  :  as,  to  be  justified 
means  to  be  absolved,  so  also  to  be  guilty  means  to  be  con- 
demned. The  meaning  is,  that  as  this  people  could  not  per- 
ceive the  Lord's  wrath  as  long  as  their  condition  was  easy  to 
be  borne,  he  would  inflict  such  dreadful  punishment  as  would 
convince  them,  so  that  they  might  no  longer  deceive  and 
flatter  themselves.  They  shall  then  be  now  condemned. 
How  ?  For  the  Lord  ivill  overturn  their  altars.  This  may 
be  referred  to  the  minister  of  vengeance ;  but  as  no  name  is 
expressed,  I  prefer  to  understand  God  as  being  meant.  God 
then  shall  overturn  their  altars,  and  destroy,  or  reduce  to  no- 
thing, their  statues. 

This  was  added,  because  ungodly  men,  we  know,  trust  in 
their  own  devices,  and  can  never  be  brought  to  serious  fear, 
except  when  they  understand  that  they  have  been  deceived 
by  the  crafts  of  Satan,  while  they  gave  themselves  up  to 
superstitions  and  idolatry.  Hence  the  Prophet  declares  that 
their  altars  shall  be  overturned,  and  their  statues  reduced  to 
nothing,  that  hypocrites  might  lay  aside  the  confidence  by 
which  they  had  hitherto  grown  proud  against  God.  But  a 
confirmation  of  this  view  follows — 

3.  For  now  they  shall  say,  We  have  3.  Quia  nunc  dicent,  Non  rex 
no  king,  because  we  feared  not  the  Lord;  nobis,  quia  non  timuimus  Jeho- 
what  then  should  a  king  do  for  us  ?         vam,  et  rex  quid  faciet  nobis  ? 

He  explains  more  at  large  what  he  had  briefly  referred  to, 
when  he  said,  that  the  condemnation,  which  would  discover 
their  wickedness,  was  now  near  at  hand.  He  now  adds,  that 
even  they  themselves  would,  of  their  own  accord,  say,  that 
they  were  deservedly  punished  in  being  deprived  of  a  king ; 
nay,  that  a  king  would  avail  them  nothing,  because  they  had 
not  feared  Jehovah.  There  is  always  to  be  understood  a 
contrast  between  the  perverse  boasting  of  the  people  and  the 
feeling  of  God's  wrath,  of  which  the  Prophet  now  speaks. 
For  as  long  as  God  spared  the  Israelites,  they  abused  his 


CHAP.  X.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  3.o5 

forbearance  and  his  kindness.  They  did  not  then  think  that 
there  was  any  thing  to  be  reprehended  in  their  life ;  nay,  we 
know  how  petulantly  they  contended  with  the  Prophets :  as 
soon  as  a  severe  word  came  out  of  the  month  of  any  Propliet, 
great  contentions  ai'ose.  "  What !  dost  thou  treat  thus  the 
people  of  God,  and  the  elect  race  of  Abraham?"  Since, 
then,  they  so  obstinately  spurned  every  instruction,  the  Pro- 
phet says  here,  "  The  time  shall  come,  when  they  shall  say 
that  they  have  no  king,  because  they  did  not  fear  the  Lord." 
The  meaning  is,  that  as  they  did  not  profit  by  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  another  kind  of  teaching  was  soon  to  be  adopted  ; 
for  the  Lord  would  really  show  his  wrath,  and  even  force 
them  to  confess  against  their  will  what  they  now  excused  : 
for  this  confession  of  sin  would  have  never  been  expressed, 
had  not  the  Lord  dealt  severely  with  them.  They  shall 
therefore  say, — when  ?  even  when  they  shall  be  taken  to 
another  school ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  henceforth  remonstrate 
with  them  in  words,  but  will  so  strike  them  with  his  hand, 
that  they  will  understand  that  they  have  to  do  with  him. 

But  it  must  be  observed,  that  the  Prophet  speaks  not  here 
of  the  repentance  of  the  people,  nor  relates  their  words,  but 
rather  mentions  the  thing  itself.  Hypocrites  either  clamour 
against  God  when  he  visits  their  sins,  or  feignedly  own  that 
they  are  worthy  of  such  punishments,  and  all  the  while  the 
same  perverseness  remains  within.  But  when  the  Prophet 
introduces  them  as  speaking,  he  does  not  mean  that  they  will 
say  what  he  relates ;  but,  as  I  have  said  already,  he  rather 
speaks  of  the  thing  itself.  Hence,  Tkcy  will  say,  that  is,  the 
event  itself  will  declare,  that  they  are  deprived  of  a  king, 
because  they  feared  not  Jehovah ;  yea,  that  though  a  king 
ruled  over  them,  he  would  be  useless.  Though,  then,  the 
Israelites  had  never  ceased  to  clamour  against  God,  nor  given 
over  openly  to  vomit  forth  their  blasphemies  against  him,  yet 
this,  which  the  Prophet  says,  would  have  been  still  true.  How 
so  ?  Because  it  was  sufficient  that  they  were  in  reality  con- 
victed, though  God  had  not  extorted  from  them  this  con- 
fession ;  yea,  they  were  themselves  made  to  feel  that  they 
were  justly  smitten  by  the  hand  of  God,  however  they  migb.t 
obstinately  deny  this  before  men. 


356  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXVI. 

The  Prophet  shows  here  also,  that  profane  men,  while  any 
hope  on  earth  is  set  before  them,  proudly  despise  the  hand  of 
God,  and  grow  torpid  in  their  own  security,  as  in  their  own 
dregs.  While  Israel  saw  their  king  in  the  midst  of  them, 
they  thought  themselves  safe  from  every  harm,  and  boldly 
despised  all  threatenings.  This,  then,  is  what  the  Prophet 
meant.  Still  further,  when  the  Lord  takes  away  every  thing 
that  dazzles  the  eyes  of  profane  and  wicked  men,  they  then 
begin  to  own  how  foolishly  they  had  flattered  themselves,  and 
how  much  they  had  been  deceived  by  Satan.  This  is  what 
is  meant  by  Hosea,  when  he  says,  that  the  Israelites  shall  be 
constrained  to  know  that  they  had  no  king,  because  they 
feared  not  God  :  but  this  repentance  would  be  too  late,  for  it 
would  be  without  advantage.     It  now  follows — 

4,  They  have  spoken  words,  swear-  4.  Loquuti  sunt  verba,  jurando 

ing  falsely  in  making  a  covenant :  mendaciter,     incideudo     foedus  : 

thus  judgment  springeth  up  as  hem-  germinabit  tanquam  absynthinm 

lock  in  the  fui-rows  of  the  field.  super  sulcos  agri  judicium.^ 

They  have  spoken  icords,  they  have  uttered  words.  Some 
give  this  explanation,  that  they  daringly  followed  their  own 
counsels,  as  the  despisers  of  God  are  wont  to  settle  and  de- 
termine what  comes  to  their  minds  according  to  their  own 
will ;  for  they  deign  not  to  inquire  of  God  what  is  right. 
Thus  they  take  the  meaning  to  be  ;  but  I  view  it  to  be  dif- 

1  There  is  here  a  departure  from  the  usual  an-angement :  the  text  is 
interwoven  with  the  exposition,  and  not  given  apart.  But  to  jireserve 
uniformity,  the  text  is  here  given  by  itself,  collected  from  the  comment. 

The  verse  may  be  thus  literally  rendered  : — 

'  They  have  spoken  words,  oaths  of  falsehood. 
In  making  of  a  covenant : 

And  judgment  hath  sprung  up  like  the  wormwood 
In  the  furrows  of  the  field.' 

Though  the  doctrine  of  Calvin  is  correct,  yet  his  exposition  of  the  last 
two  Hues  seems  too  refined.  Judgment  often  means  the  administration 
of  justice.  Instead  of  being  right  and  for  the  general  good,  as  it  ought 
to  have  been,  it  was  like  some  noxious  weed  growing  naturally  and 
abundantly  in  the  furrows  of  the  field.  As  the  word  is  literally  '  head,' 
it  seems  to  designate  a  weed  or  a  herb  most  natural  to  the  soil,  the  chief 
herb,  which  commonly  gi-ows  abundantly.  So  that  judgment,  or  ad- 
ministration of  justice,  was  not  like  the  good  seed  sown  in  a  prepared 
ground,  but  like  the  noxious  weed,  natural  to  the  soil,  when  first  turned 
up  by  the  plough. — Ed. 


CHAP.  X.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  357 

ferent,  that  is,  that  they  spoke  words,  or  very  fi'cely  testifiedj 
that  they  would  be  the  best  and  the  most  faithful  Avorshippers 
of  God.  Then  it  follows.  By  sicear-ing  falsely.  Some  refer 
this  to  covenants.  I  will  explain  the  words  one  by  one ;  for 
I  shall  hereafter  speak  of  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

Then  he  says,  that  they  sicore  falsely,  that  is,  according  to 
some,  because  there  was  in  them  much  levity  and  changeable- 
ness.  And,  indeed,  I  confess  it  to  be  true,  that  they  procured 
for  themselves  grievous  punishments  by  their  perjuries  ;  but 
the  Prophet  rather  means  those  Avho  swore  falsely  to  the 
Lord.  It  then  follows.  By  cutting  a  covenant,  by  making  a 
covenant.  Here  again  the  Prophet  no  doubt  reproves  them 
for  renewing  their  covenant  with  God  perfidiously ;  for  it  was 
a  mere  dissimulation.  But  it  follows,  Judgment  loill germinate  as 
ivormwood.  Some  render  the  word  S^JiJI^,  carash,  as  gall;  but 
the  similitude  is  not  suitable,  since  the  Prophet  speaks  here 
of  fields ;  for  he  adds.  In  the  furrows  of  the  field;  that  is, 
judgment  will  germinate  in  the  furrows  as  wormwood  or  some 
other  bitter  plant. 

I  have  thus  briefly  explained  how  some  understand  this 
verse,  namely,  that  Israel  was  daring  and  haughty  in  their 
counsels,  boldly  determining  whatever  pleased  them,  as  if  it 
were  not  in  the  power  of  God  to  change  what  men  resolve  to 
do, — and  then,  that  they  implicated  themselves  in  many 
compacts,  that  without  any  faith  they  violated  them  with  this 
and  thatnation,  and  that  at  last  they  had  nothing  but  bitterness. 
This  is  their  exposition  :  but  I  rather  think  that  the  cause  of 
God  is  here  pleaded  by  the  Prophet;  that  is,  that  the  Israel- 
ites, as  often  as  they  promised  some  repentance,  and  gave 
some  sign  of  it,  only  dissembled  and  lied  to  God.  Hence  he 
says.  They  have  spoken  words,  but  they  were  only  words  ;  for 
they  were  never  from  a  heart  touched  with  any  feeling  as 
to  God's  wrath,  so  as  to  abhor  themselves  for  their  vices. 
They  therefore  uttered  words  only. 

He  afterwards  expresses  the  same  deceitfulness  in  other 
words :  They  have  sworn  falsely,  he  says,  and  made  a  cove- 
nant ;  which  means,  that  though  they  seemed  to  wish  to 
return  to  God,  it  was  yet  a  fallacious  pretence ;  yea,  a  per- 
jury.    When  they  wished  to  prove  thcaisclves  to  be  especially 


358  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVI. 

faithful,  they  then  sinned  more  grievously  by  renewing  their 
covenant. 

Judgment  shall  therefore  germinate  as  icormivood  in  the  fur- 
rows of  the  field.  Judgment  is  here  to  be  taken  as  rectitude, 
as  though  the  Prophet  had  said,  "  When  they  exhibit  some 
appearance  of  religion,  and  give  a  colour  to  their  impieties,  it 
seems  indeed  to  be  judgment,  there  seems  to  be  some  justice  ; 
but  it  will  be  at  last  wormwood,  and  will  germinate  in  the 
furrows  of  the  field." 

Interpreters  seem  not  to  me  to  have  understood  the  design 
of  the  Prophet.  For  why  does  he  say,  "  in  the  furrows  of 
the  field,"  rather  than  in  the  field  ?  Even  for  this  reason, 
because  there  is  some  preparation  made,  when  the  field  is 
ploughed,  for  the  good  seed  to  grow.  When,  therefore,  nox- 
ious herbs  grow  on  the  furrows  of  the  land,  it  is  less  to  be 
endured  than  when  they  grow  in  dry  and  desert  places  ;  for 
this  is  what  is  wont  naturally  to  happen.  But  when  worm- 
wood grows  up  instead  of  wheat  in  the  furrows,  that  is,  on 
lands  well  cultivated,  it  is  a  thing  more  strange  and  less  to 
be  endured.  We  now  then  apprehend  what  the  Prophet 
meant.  They  indeed  seemed  at  times  to  be  touched  with 
some  feeling  of  piety,  and  promised  much,  and  were  very 
liberal  in  good  words ;  they  even  swore,  and  seemed  prepared 
to  renew  their  covenant  with  God, — but  what  was  all  this  ? 
It  was  the  same  as  if  a  husbandman  had  prepared  his  field, 
and  noxious  herbs  had  grown  up  where  he  had  bestowed 
much  labour  and  toil.  Such  was  their  rectitude, — a  disguised 
form  or  shadow  of  religion ;  it  was  nothing  else,  but  like 
wormwood  growing  in  well-cultivated  land. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  dost  train  ns  up  with  so  much 
diligence  and  assiduous  care,  and  regard  us  as  dear  and  pre- 
cious like  an  hereditary  vine, — O  gi'ant,  that  we  may  not  bring 
forth  wild  grapes,  and  that  cm-  fruit  may  not  be  bitter  and  un- 
pleasant to  thee,  but  that  we  may  strive  so  to  form  om*  whole 
life  in  obedience  to  thy  law,  that  all  our  actions  and  thoughts 
may  be  pleasant  and  sweet  fruits  to  thee.  And  as  there  is  ever 
some  sin  mixed  up  with  our  Avorks,  even  when  we  desire  to 
serve  thee  sincerely  and  from  the  heart,  grant  that  all  stains  in 


CHAP.  X.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  359 

our  works  may  be  so  cleansed  and  washed  away  by  the  sacri- 
fice of  thy  Sou,  that  they  may  be  to  thee  sacrifices  of  sweet 
odom-,  through  tlie  same,  even  Christ  Jesus,  who  Las  so  recon- 
ciled us  to  thee,  as  to  obtain  pardon  even  for  our  works. 
Amen. 


^Lecture  S'tuentgsscbfntJ). 

5.  The  inhabitants  of  Sa-        5.  Propter  vitulas'  (juvencas)  Bethaven 

maria  shall  fear  because  of  pavebunt  (ad  verbum)  incola  Samaria  (sed 

the  calves  of  Bethaven:  for  mutalio  est  numeric  pavebunt  igitur :  alii 

the    people    thereof     shall  vertunt^   exulabunt    incoliB  Samarije,   sed 

mourn    over    it,     and    the  male :)  quia  lugebit  super  eum  populus  suns 

priests  thereof  that  rejoiced  et  sacerdotes  ejus,  qui  super  eum  exultant 

on  it,  for  the  glory  thereof,  (i^e/,  propter  eum  exultabunt)  super  gloria 

because  it  is  departed  from  ejus,  quia  transivit  ab  eo  (vd^  aversa  est 

it,  ab  eo.) 

I  SHALL  first  briefly  touch  on  what  I  have  mentioned  in 
reading  over  the  text;  that  is,  that  some  interpreters  expound 
this  verse  of  the  exile  of  the  people.  The  word  11^,  gur,  sig- 
nifies to  be  banished,  and  it  means  also  to  fear ;  but  the  con- 
text, as  we  shall  see,  will  not  allow  it  to  be  taken  here  In  the 
sense  of  being  banished.  Some  render  the  other  word  ptJ^, 
shecgm,  to  dwell,  but  they  are  mistaken.  The  Prophet  sim- 
ply means,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria  were  now  glory- 
ing in  their  calves,  (for  the  calves,  we  know,  were  in  Dan 
and  Bethel,)  but  that  in  a  short  time  the  Lord  would  strike 
them  with  terror,  and  the  cause  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

I  now  come  to  show  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 
The  inhabitants  of  Samaria,  he  says,  shall  fear,  because  of  the 
calves  of  Bethaven.  The  Prophet  derides  the  folly  of  the 
people  of  Israel  In  worshipping  calves,  and  in  thinking  that 
the  whole  hope  of  safety  was  included  in  them.  How  so  ? 
*'  They  are  constrained,"  he  says,  "  to  weep  for  the  exile  of 
their  calf;  so  far  is  it  from  being  able  to  bring  them  any  aid, 

'  The  word  rendered  "  calves"  is  in  the  form  of  a  feminine  plural :  but 
it  is  evidently  a  noun  in  the  singular  number,  for  all  the  pronouns  in  the 
verse,  referring  to  it,  are  in  the  singular  number.  It  is  a  peculiar  form, 
expressive  of  something  huge  or  great  :  as  niDHQ)  a  great  beast,  in  Ps. 
Ixxiii.  22  ;  and  ni^DSn,  chief  wisdom,  in  Prov.  ix.  1.  And  so  Bishop 
Horsley  renders  it  "  great  calf."  The  Septuagint  has  "  calf," — tu  fcoaxoi. 
—Ed. 


360  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXVII, 

that  the  citizens  of  Samaria  in  vain  deplore  its  captivity." 
By  way  of  contempt,  he  calls  the  calves,  heifers.  He  might 
have  used  the  masculine  gender ;  but  the  whole  of  the  verse 
glances  at  the  madness  of  the  people  of  Israel,  because  they 
were  so  grossly  delirious  in  their  superstitions,  and  yet  were 
wholly  insensible.  Then  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria  shall  fear 
for  the  calves  of  Bethaven,  because  idolaters,  when  they  see 
some  danger  to  their  idols,  tremble,  and  would  gladly  bring 
aid  ;  and  this  very  fear  betrays  their  stupidity  and  madness. 
For  why  do  not  the  gods  help  themselves,  instead  of  expect- 
ing help  from  mortals  ?  We  now  understand  the  design  of 
the  Prophet. 

But  he  says,  They  luill  mourn  over  it.  The  number  is  here 
changed.  He  had  said,  "  because  of  the  heifers  ;"  and  now 
he  expresses  the  kind  by  putting  down  a  relative  of  the  mas- 
culine gender,  "|,  van}  He  therefore  returns  to  "  calves,"  and 
afterwards  uses  the  singular  number ;  for  there  was  one  only 
at  Bethaven,  the  other  was  at  Dan.  But  we  have  already 
shown  why  the  Prophet  called  them  heifers. 

Its  people,  he  says,  shall  mourn  for  it,  yea,  even  the  priests 
also.  Some  think  that  D''^^D,  cameriyn,  priests  were  called  by 
this  term,  because  they  put  on  black  vestments  in  celebrating 
their  rites  ;  for  the  word  IDD,  earner,  means  black  ;  but  this 
is  a  vain  conjecture :  and  the  Rabbins,  as  it  often  appears, 
are  very  bold  in  their  figments  ;  for  they  regard  not  wliat  is 
true,  but  only  make  conjectures,  and  wish  that  whatever 
comes  to  their  minds  to  be  counted  as  oracular ;  nor  do  they 
regard  history,  but  advance  without  reason  what  pleases 
them.  Another  explanation  of  the  word  may  be  adduced, 
and  one  in  my  judgment  more  probable  ;  for  the  word  signi- 
fies also  to  ring  again  or  to  resound ;  and  the  priests,  we 
know,  made,  in  performing  their  services,  great  noises  and 
howling ;  as  Elijah  says,  '  Cry  aloud,  for  your  Baal  is  per- 
haps asleep,'  (1  Kings  xviii.  27.)  If  their  conjecture  is 
allowable,  I  would  rather  say  that  they  were  called  by  this 
word  on  account  of  the  noise  they  made.     But  I  leave  the 

1  This  relative  is  either  masculine  or  neuter :  the  Hebrews  have  only 
tAvo  genders,  the  masculine  and  feminine  ;  and  the  neuter  is  expressed  hj 
the  former. — Ed. 


CHAP.  X.  6.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  361 

thing  undecided.  It  was,  however,  a,  name  commonly  in  use, 
as  it  appears  from  other  places.  For  by  this  name  D''1^D) 
ca,7nerim,  were  those  new  priests  called,  whom  Josiah  took 
away,  as  it  is  related  in  2  Kings  xxiii.  But  whether  they 
had  this  name  from  their  noises,  or  the  black  colour  of  their 
vestments,  it  is  still  certain  that  they  were  the  priests  of  false 
gods. 

The  Prophet  now  says,  that  the  priests  also  shall  mourn, 
for  the  verb  7^2^,  abel,  is  to  be  repeated.     He  afterwards 
adds,  ll'llD'/J^  yy^y^,  igilu  ol-cabudu ;  the  relative,  who,  is 
wanting — who  exult,  but  it  is  to  be  understood  after  D'^ltt^, 
who  exult  for  it.     But  why  should  they  mourn  ?     They  shall 
mourn  for  its  glory,  because  it  had  departed  :  they  shall  now 
begin  to  mourn,  because  the  glory  of  the  calf  had  passed 
away  from  it.     Here  the  Prophet  teaches  that  the  glorying, 
by  which  hypocrites  deceive  themselves,  will  not  be  perma- 
nent ;  for  the  Lord  will  surely  lead  them,  as  we  shall  see,  to 
sudden  and  unexpected  shame.     He  then  says  that  there 
would  be  mourning  for  the  calves  among  the  citizens  of  Sa- 
maria.    They  indeed  thought  that  the  kingdom  was  well 
fortified,  for  they  had  erected  temples  in  their  borders,  to  be, 
as  it  were,  their  fortresses.     They  hence  imagined  themselves 
to  be  safe  from  every  incursion  of  enemies.     The  Prophet 
says,  "  Nay,  they  shall  mourn  for  their  calf."      How  so  ? 
Truly  its  own  people  shall  mourn  for  it.     He  goes  farther, 
and  calls  all  its  worshippers,  the  people  of  the  calf:  and  we 
know  that  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel  was  implicated  in  that 
superstition.     Yea,  he  says,  even  the  priests,  who  exult  for 
it,  shall  mourn.     Why  ?    Because  its  glory  shall  depart  from 
it.     It  now  follows — 

6.  It  shall  be  also  carried  into  Assy-  6.  Etiam  ipse  in  Assyrian! 

ria /o?- a  present  to  king  Jareb  :  Ei)li-  fcrctiirmuuusrcgiJarcb:pudc- 

raim  shall  receive   shame,  and  Israel  rem  Ephraim  acciiiict,  et  pude- 

shall  be  ashamed  of  his  own  counsel.  fict  Israel  a  cousUio  suo. 

Here  the  Prophet  expresses  more  clearly  the  cause  of 
mourning  to  the  priests  and  to  the  Avhole  people,  The  calf]  he 
says,  shall  be  carried  into  Assyria,  and  carried  as  a  present  to 
king  Jarcb.  It  is  probable,  that  when  extreme  danger  came,  the 
king  of  Israel  was  constrained  either  to  cast  the  calf  into  a  new 


362  THE  T^VELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVII. 

form,  or  to  break  it  in  pieces,  to  redeem  peace  from  the  Assy- 
rian king.  As  then  the  whole  kingdom  was  reduced  to  great 
want,  we  may  infer  from  this  place  that  the  calf  or  calves 
were  carried  into  Assyria  for  pacifying  the  king.  Since  then 
the  Israelites  saw  that  they  were  stripped  of  their  protection, 
(for  they  were  now  without  any  hope  of  safety,  as  there  was 
no  God  among  them,)  the  Prophet  mentioned  above  their 
grief:  but  he  now  shows  that  exile  was  nigh  at  hand,  not 
only  to  the  Israelites,  but  also  to  the  calves  which  they  wor- 
shipped, and  by  whose  aid  they  thought  themselves  to  be 
secure  and  safe  in  their  country. 

There  is  a  particular  emphasis  in  the  particle  DJ,  ga.m,  as 
though  the  Prophet  said,  "  Not  only  the  Israelites  shall 
migrate,  but  the  very  calf  shall  also  be  carried  into  Assyria." 
Of  the  word  "Jareb,"  we  have  spoken  in  the  fifth  chapter: 
it  seems  to  have  been  the  proper  name  of  a  man.  Some  con- 
jecture it  to  be  a  city  in  Assyria,  though  not  noticed  by 
writers.  Others  think  it  to  be  the  name  of  a  neighbouring 
king  to  the  Assyrian,  but  without  reason,  and  they  are  refuted 
by  this  very  passage  ;  for  the  Prophet  doubtless  points  out 
here  the  Assyrian  king.  He  yet  calls  him  Jareb ;  it  may  be 
that  he  was  as  yet  a  private  man,  or  he  may  have  so  called 
him  by  Avay  of  reproach.  This  is  however  uncertain.  Jerome 
renders  the  word,  "avenger."  But  it  is  sufficiently  evident 
that  it  was  a  proper  name,  not  of  a  city  or  place,  but,  as  it 
has  been  said,  of  a  man.  And  I  am  disposed  to  think,  that 
he  calls  him  king  Jareb  by  way  of  contempt,  for  this  contempt 
prevailed  among  the  Israelites  as  long  as  they  thought  them- 
selves strong  enough  to  resist.  But  the  Lord  afterwards 
checked  this  pride :  hence  the  Prophet  says  now  in  a  cutting 
manner,  "The  calf  shall  be  carried  into  Assyria  to  pacify 
king  Jareb." 

He  afterwards  adds,  Ephraim  shall  receive  shame,  or  re- 
proach ;  Israel  shall  be  made  ashamed  of  his  counsel.  He  says 
the  same  thing  in  different  ways,  and  not  without  reason ;  for 
it  was  difficult  at  first  to  persuade  the  Israelites  that  what 
they  thought  to  have  been  wisely  contrived  would  turn  out 
to  their  shame.  The  king  Jeroboam  the  first,  when  he  erected 
temples,  did  indeed  think  it  the  best  device  to  prevent  the 


CHAF.  X.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  36 


LIO 


people,  were  they  to  repent,  from  submitting  themselves 
again  to  the  posterity  of  David.  Hence  he  thought  that  the 
ten  tribes  were  AvhoUy  torn  away,  when  he  set  up  that  peculiar 
worship,  which  had  nothing  in  common  with  that  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah.  And  doubtless  had  the  ten  tribes  worshipped  the 
true  God  at  Jerusalem,  this  union  might  have  been  the 
means  of  again  reuniting  them  into  one  body  under  one 
head.  Hence  the  king  Jeroboam  thought  that  he  had  pro- 
vided well  for  his  kingdom,  to  render  it  permanent,  by  cutting 
off  all  communication  between  the  two  people  :  and  there 
was  none  in  Israel  who  did  not  approve  of  this  counsel ;  for 
they  took  delight  in  their  wealth,  in  the  number  of  their  men, 
and  in  other  advantages.  Since  then  the  kino-dom  of  Judah 
was  much  inferior,  the  Israelites  were  vastly  pleased  with 
themselves.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  says,  Epli- 
raim  shall  receive  shame ;  Israel  shall  be  made  ashamed  of  his 
counsel.  But  this,  as  I  have  said,  could  not  appear  credible 
at  first.  For  men  promise  to  themselves  the  success  they 
wish  in  their  own  craftiness  :  and  hence  it  comes  also,  that 
they  dare  to  attempt  any  thing  they  please  without  the  aid 
of  God.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  repeats  the 
same  sentence,  "  Ephraim,"  he  says,  "  shall  receive  shame ; 
Israel  shall  be  made  ashamed," — for  what  ?  for  their  counsel. 
They  think  that  their  own  counsel  will  be  most  useful  to 
them  ;  yea,  they  place  their  safety  in  their  OAvn  craftiness. 
But  the  Lord  will  overrule  for  their  shame  whatever  they 
have  devised.     It  follows — 

7.  As  for  Samaria,  her  7.  Siiccisiis  est  Samari*  rex  suus,  sicuti 
king  is  cut  oft"  as  tlic  foam  spuma  in  supcrficie  aquarmn  (alii  p'^p  voltait 
upon  the  water.  corticem  :  sed  nomen  apumoi  luulio  aptiits  est.^} 

The  Prophet  proceeds  with  the  same  subject,  nor  ought  it 
to  be  deemed  a  useless  prolixity.  It  would  have  indeed  been 
sufficient  by  one  word  to  threaten  the  Israelites,  had  they 
been  pliable  and  obedient ;  but  as  they  were  stupid  in  their 
perverseness,  it  was  necessary  to  stun  their  ears  with  con 

^  '  Samaria  is  dcstiovcd, 

Her  liing  is  like  foam  on  the  waters.' 
This  is  evidently  the  correct  rendering,  and  this  constriiclion  is  what 
Bisliop  Horsley  ad(>pts. — Ed. 


364  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXVII. 

tinual  thrcatenings,  that  they  might  be  at  least  less  excusable 
before  God.  Hence  the  Prophet  says  now,  that  the  king  of 
Samaria  shall  he  cut  off  like  the  foam :  and  he  thus  speaks  of 
tlie  king,  because  the  Israelites  thought  their  king,  next  to 
their  idols,  to  be  to  them  an  invincible  fortress.  For  thus 
ungodly  men,  as  it  has  been  mentioned  before,  always  imagine 
their  stronghold  to  be  in  the  world  and  earthly  things.  Hence 
the  Lord  denounces  a  just  punishment,  by  saying  that  he 
would  cut  off  the  king  ;  for  the  impious  confidence,  of  which 
I  have  spoken,  could  not  be  otherwise  corrected.  Therefore 
"  the  king  of  Samaria  shall  be  cut  off," — in  Avhat  manner?  Like 
a  foam.  It  is  a  most  apt  comparison;  for  the  Prophet  shows 
that  the  condition  of  the  kingdom,  which  they  imagined  to 
be  firm  and  perpetual,  had  nothing  in  it  but  an  empty  appear- 
ance, like  the  foam,  which  has  nothing  substantial.  And 
further,  he  seems  to  me  to  point  out  another  thing,  that  is, 
that  the  kingdom,  though  it  showed  itself  to  be  above  other 
kingdoms,  was  yet  but  an  excrement.  The  foam  floats  above 
the  waters  of  the  sea,  and  by  its  height  seems  eminent ;  but 
what  is  the  foam  but  the  excrement  of  the  water  ?  for  what- 
ever is  decayed  in  the  waters  passes  into  foam.  So  Israel 
thought,  that  as  they  were  endued  with  power,  and  in  every 
way  excelled  the  tribe  of  Judah,  they  could  ride,  as  it  were, 
over  their  heads.  The  Prophet,  on  the  contrary,  says  that 
they  were  foam,  and  also  their  king,  "  Your  king,"  he  says, 
"  though  the  king  of  Judah  cannot  be  compared  with  him,  is 
yet  a  foam.  By  his  height  he  seems  indeed  wonderful,  and 
hence  has  arisen  your  pride,  for  you  are  now  become  hardened 
ao-ainst  God ;  but  the  Lord  will  cut  him  off  like  a  foam." 
The  Prophet  then  not  only  compares  the  king  of  Israel  to  a 
bubble  or  to  foaming  waters ;  but  he  says,  that  with  respect 
to  the  king  of  Judah,  he  is  an  excrement.  We  now  then 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

8.  The  high  places  also  of  Aven,  8.  Et  pcrierunt    (vel,  pcribimt) 

the  sin  of  Israel,  shall  be  destroyed :  cxcelsa  Aven,  scelus  Israel :  spina  et 

the  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  carduus     ascendet     snper    altaria 

up  on  their  altars  ;  and  they  shall  corum  :  et  dicent  uiontibus,  Operitc 

say  to  the  mountains,  Cover  us ;  nos  ;    et    coUibus,     Caditc    super 

and  to  the  hills,  Fall  on  us.  nos. 

We  see  how  much  the  Prophet  dwells  on  one  thing :  but. 


CIIAr.  X.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  3G5 

as  I  have  already  said,  there  was  need  of  a  strong  hammer  to 
beat  this  iron ;  for  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  iron,  or  even 
steel.  This  hardness  could  not  then  be  broken  except  with 
violence.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  goes  on  with 
his  threatening,  and  places  before  their  eyes  in  so  many  forms 
the  vengeance  of  God  ;  of  which  it  would  have  been  enough 
for  him  briefly  to  remind  them,  had  they  not  been  so  per- 
verse. 

And  first  he  says.  The  high  places  of  Aven  have  perished,  or 
shall  perish.  He  now  calls  Bethel  Aven,  as  he  called  it  be- 
fore Bethaven.  We  have  stated  the  reason  for  changing 
the  name.  Jeroboam  might  indeed  have  disguised  the  wor- 
ship, which  he  had  profanely  introduced  by  this  pretext,  that 
God  had  appeared  in  that  place  to  holy  Jacob,  and  we  know 
its  name  was  given  to  it  by  God :  but  in  the  meantime,  as 
the  people  had  made  a  wrong  use  of  the  Patriarch's  example, 
the  place  was  called  Bethaven.  Bethaven,  we  know,  is 
the  house  of  iniquity  ;  as  though  the  Prophet  had  said, 
*'  God  dwells  not  in  this  place,  as  superstitious  men  imagine ; 
but  it  has  been  corrupted  by  ungodly  worshippers."  He  there- 
fore says,  "The  high  places  of  Aven;"  that  is,  of  impiety. 
But  it  may  be  expedient  to  repeat  here  what  we  have  before 
said,  namely,  that  when  men  degenerate  from  the  pure  teach- 
ing of  God,  they  in  vain  cover  their  profanations  with  empty 
names,  as  we  see  the  Papists  doing  at  this  day ;  for  they 
adorn  that  profanation,  the  Mass,  with  the  title  of  Sacrament, 
as  if  it  was  something  allied  to  it.  They  wish  even  their  own 
Mass  to  be  regarded  as  the  Holy  Supper,  as  if  it  were  in 
their  power  to  abolish  what  has  been  prescribed  by  the  Son 
of  God,  and  to  substitute  in  its  place  their  own  inventions. 
Hence,  how  much  soever  the  Papists  may  dignify  their  pro- 
fanations with  honourable  names,  they  effect  nothing.  How 
80?  Because  God  loudly  proclaims  respecting  Bethel  that 
it  is  Bethaven ;  and  the  reason  is  well  known,  because 
Jeroboam  erected  temples,  and  appointed  new  sacrifices, 
without  God's  command.  Whenever,  then,  men  depart  from 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  it  Avill  avail  them  nothing  to  disguise 
their  own  dreams ;  for  the   Lord  approves  of  nothing  but 


366  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXVII. 


what  he  himself  commands.     Hence  the  high  places  of  Aven 
have  perished,  or  "  shall  perish." 

He  adds,  The  sin  of  Israel.  This  sentence,  placed  in  ap- 
position, belongs  to  the  former.  What  is  meant  is,  The  sin 
of  Israel  shall  perish.  But,  as  it  was  said  yesterday,  the 
Israelites  thought  that  they  performed  a  service  acceptable 
to  God ;  and  hence  it  was  that  they  were  so  sedulously  at- 
tentive to  their  holy  rites ;  but  God,  on  the  contrary,  pro- 
nounced them  to  be  sin.  How  so  ?  Because  it  is  profanation 
and  idolatry  in  men  to  leave  off  following  God's  command, 
and  to  give  way  to  their  own  fancies  and  inventions.  We 
must  then  understand,  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  men  to 
form  any  modes  of  worship  they  please ;  nor  is  it  in  their 
power  to  decide  on  this  or  that  worship,  whether  it  be  law- 
ful or  spurious  ;  but  nothing  remains  for  us  but  to  attend  to 
what  the  Lord  says.  When,  therefore,  the  Lord  pronounces 
that  to  be  profane  which  pleases  us,  we  ought  to  acquiesce  in 
his  judgment ;  for  it  does  not  become  us  to  dispute  with  him, 
and  it  would  be  vain  to  do  so. 

TJie  thorn  and  the  thistle,  he  says,  shall  come  up  on  their  altars. 
It  may  be  asked.  Ought  the  Prophet  simply,  by  these  tokens, 
to  have  reproved  the  superstition  of  the  people,  seeing  that 
the  same  thing  happened  to  the  temple  a  short  time  after, 
though  not  built  by  the  counsel  of  men,  but  by  that  of  God  ? 
Since,  then,  the  grass  grew  where  the  temple  was,  was  not 
that  worship,  which  we  know  was  founded  by  God,  exposed 
to  ridicule  ?  It  is  only  the  same  that  can  be  said  of  the 
calves.  We  grant  that  the  calves  were  carried  into  Assyria, 
as  a  price  from  the  wretched  Israelites  to  pacify  the  king, 
who  was  angry  with  them.  Was  not  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
taken  also  into  captivity  by  enemies  ?  Did  not  king  Nebu- 
chadnezzar take  away  the  vessels  of  the  temple  ?  And  was 
not  pious  Hezekiah  constrained  to  strip  the  doors  of  the 
temple  of  their  ornaments  ?  Then  this  seems  not  to  have 
been  fitly  spoken  by  the  Prophet.  The  answer  to  all  this 
may  be  readily  given  :  The  Israelites  promised  to  themselves 
what  they  saw,  and  found  afterwards  to  be  vain,  as  is  the  case 
with  hypocrites,  who  securely  despise  all  judgments  and  all 
punishments.     How  so  ?     Because  they  thought  their  own 


CHAP.  X.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  367 

perverted  worship  to  be  sufficient  for  their  safety ;  though 
they  were  in  their  whole  life  abominable,  yet  as  some  form  of 
religion  was  observed  by  them,  they  thought  that  God  was 
bound  to  be  with  them :  such  and  so  supine  was  the  securitj^ 
of  that  people.  Very  different  was  the  case  with  the  tribe  of 
Judah.  For  God,  by  his  Prophets,  proclaimed  aloud, 
"  Trust  not  in  words  of  falsehood ;  for  ye  boast  continually, 
The  temple  of  the  Lord,  The  temple  of  the  Lord,  ( Jer.  vii.  4,) 
but  I  no  longer  dwell  in  that  temple  :"  and  Ezekiel  saw  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  departing  elsewhere,  (Ezek.  x.  4.)  What 
is  said  here  could  not  then  apply  to  the  temple,  nor  to  the 
true  and  lawful  altar,  nor  to  the  true  worshippers  of  God ; 
but  the  Prophet  justly  reproaches  the  Israelites  for  expect- 
ing safety  from  their  own  altars,  while  yet  they  were  pro- 
voking God's  wrath  against  themselves  by  such  inventions. 
We  ought,  then,  to  remember  this  difference  between  the 
tribe  of  Judah  and  the  ten  tribes. 

But  he  adds, —  They  shall  say  to  the  mountains,  Cover  us: 
and  to  the  hills,  Fall  on  us.  By  this  form  of  speaking,  the 
Prophet  intended  to  express  the  dreadful  vengeance  of  God ; 
as  if  he  had  said,  that  the  destruction,  which  was  at  hand, 
would  be  so  grievous,  that  it  would  be  better  to  perish  a  hun- 
dred times  than  to  remain  in  that  state  alive.  For  when 
men  say  to  hills.  Fall  on  us,  and  to  mountains,  Cover  us,  they 
doubtless  desire  a  death  too  dreadful  to  be  spoken  of;  but  it 
is  the  same  as  if  the  Prophet  had  said,  that  life  and  light,  and 
the  sight  of  the  sun  and  the  common  air,  would  become  a 
horror  to  them,  for  they  would  perceive  the  hand  of  God  to 
be  against  them.  And  further,  it  is  a  sign  of  extreme  de- 
spair, when  men  willingly  seek  the  abyss,  where  they  may  sink 
to  avoid  the  presence  of  God  and  present  destruction.  And 
hence  Christ  has  also  transferred  this  passage  to  set  forth  the 
last  judgment,  of  which  he  speaks, — '  They  shall  say  to  the 
mountains,  Cover  us  ;  and  to  the  hills.  Fall  on  us  ;'  that  is, 
what  was  once  said  by  the  Prophet  shall  then  be  again  ful- 
filled ;  that  the  wicked  will  prefer  a  hundred  deaths  to  one 
life  ;  for  both  light  and  the  vital  air  will  be  hated  and  de- 
tested by  them,  because  they  will  perceive  themselves  to  be 
oppressed  by  the  dreadful  hand  of  God.     It  follows — 


368  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXVII. 

9.  O  Israel,  thou  bast  sinned  from  the  9.  A  dicbus  Gabaa  pcccasti 

days  of  Gibeah  :  there  they  stood  :  the  Isi'ael :  illic  steterunt ;  non  ap- 

battle  in  Gibeah  against  tlie  childi'cn  of  prehendit  eos  in  Gibea  prtelium 

iniquity  did  not  overtake  them.  super  filios  iniquitatis. 

He  here  reproaches  Israel  for  having  been  long  inured  In 
their  sins,  and  not  for  being  lately  corrupted.  This  is  the 
substance.  He  had  said  in  the  last  chapter  that  they  were 
deep  in  their  sins,  as  in  the  days  of  Gibeah  :  Ave  then  ex- 
plained why  the  Prophet  adduced  the  example  of  Gibeah,  and 
that  was,  because  the  Gibeonites  had  fallen  away  from  all 
fear  of  God,  as  if  not  a  word  about  the  law  had  ever  been 
heard  among  tliem.  We  indeed  know  that  they  abandoned 
themselves  to  filthy  and  monstrous  lusts,  like  the  inhabitants 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Seeing,  then,  that  so  great  ob- 
scenity prevailed  openly  and  with  impunity  in  Gibeah,  rightly 
did  the  Prophet  say  that  the  Israelites  were  then  lost  and 
past  hope,  as  the  case  was  at  that  time.  But  noAv  he  re- 
gards another  thing,  even  this, — that  from  that  time  they  had 
not  ceased  to  accumulate  evils  on  evils,  and  thus  to  spin,  as 
it  were,  a  continuous  rope  of  iniquity,  as  it  is  said  in  another 
place, — From  the  days  then  of  Gibeah  hast  thou,  Israel, 
sinned. 

But  this  seems  an  unjust  charge ;  for  we  know  that  the 
whole  people  united  together  against  the  tribe  of  Benjamin. 
Since,  then,  the  Israelites  revenged  that  wickedness  which 
was  committed  in  the  city  of  Gibeah,  why  does  the  Pro- 
phet bring  against  them  the  crime  of  which  they  had  been 
the  avengers  ?  But  we  know  that  it  often  happens,  that 
they  who  execute  the  vengeance  of  God  are  in  no  respect 
better;  and  we  had  a  remarkable  example  of  this  at  the 
beginning  in  Jehu ;  for  he  had  been  God's  minister  in 
punishing  superstitions ;  yet  God  calls  him  a  robber,  and  com- 
pares the  vengeance  he  executed  to  robbery  ;  '  I  Avill  avenge,' 
he  says,  '  on  the  head  of  Jehu  the  blood  of  the  house  of 
Ahab,  which  he  has  shed.'  And  yet  we  know  that  he  was 
armed  with  the  sword  of  God.  This  is  indeed  true ;  but  he 
acted  not  with  a  sincere  and  upright  heart,  for  he  afterwards 
followed  the  same  example.  So  now  the  Prophet  says,  that 
the  Israelites  liad  sinned  even  from  that  time ;  as  thou2;h  he 


CHAP.  X.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  369 

said,  "  The  Lord  by  the  hand  of  your  fathers  took  vengeance 
on  the  Gibeonites  and  on  the  whole  tribe  of  Benjamin :  but 
they  were  wholly  like  them.  This  corruption  has  from  that 
time  overwhelmed,  like  a  deluge,  the  whole  land  of  Israel. 
There  is  then  no  reason  for  you  to  boast  that  you  have  been 
better,  inasmuch  as  it  afterwards  fully  appeared  what  you 
were,  for  you  imitated  the  Gibeonites."  We  now  then 
understand  the  design  of  the  Prophet,  and  how  justly  he 
brings  this  charge  against  the  Israelites,  that  they  had  sinned 
from  the  days  of  Gibeah.  They  indeed  thought  that  that 
crime  was  confined  to  a  small  corner  of  the  land ;  but  the 
Prophet  says  that  the  whole  land  Avas  covered  with  it,  and 
that  they  all  exposed  themselves  to  God's  judgment,  and 
deserved  the  same  punishment  with  the  Gibeonites  and  their 
brethren,  the  whole  tribe  of  Benjamin.  '  Thou,  Israel,  hast 
then  sinned  from  the  days  of  Gibeah  :'  the  Israelites  said, 
that  the  Benjamites  alone  sinned ;  but  that  sin,  he  says,  was 
common. 

There  they  stood.  This  clause  is  variously  explained.  Some 
think  that  the  people  are  reproved  for  wishing  to  retreat 
after  having  twice  fought  without  success.  We  hence  see 
that  their  minds  were  soft  and  cowardly,  since  they  so  soon 
succumbed  to  their  trial.  They  therefore  think  that  this  want 
of  confidence  is  pointed  out  by  the  Prophet ;  '  There  they 
stood,'  he  says,  that  is,  retreated  from  the  battle  ;  for  as  they 
did  not  succeed  as  they  wished,  they  thought  that  they  had 
been  deceived.  Hence  it  is  concluded,  that  they  did  not 
ascribe  his  just  honour  to  God,  and  were  on  this  account 
reprehensible.  But  others  say,  that  God  had  then  testified 
by  a  clear  proof  that  the  Israelites  were  equal  in  guilt  to 
the  Gibeonites  ;  for  how  came  it,  they  say,  that  when  they 
engaged  in  battle,  they  were  compelled  twice  to  retreat  ? 
All  Israel  were  armed  against  one  tribe ;  how  then  Avas  it 
that  they  did  not  immediately  overcome  ?  But  the  Ben- 
jamites, we  know,  were  not  at  last  conquered  without  a  great 
loss.  It  is  then  certain  that  God  plainly  showed  that  the 
Israelites  were  unworthy  of  so  honourable  an  office  ;  for  the 
Israelites  wished  to  execute  God's  judgment,  M^hen  they  were 
themselves  equally  wicked.     The  Lord  then  openly  reminded 

VOL.  I.  2  A 


370  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.      LECT.  XXVII- 

them,  that  it  was  not  for  them  to  tum  their  zeal  against 
others,  when  they  Avere  no  less  guilty  themselves.  It  seems 
to  others  that  their  obstinacy  is  here  pointed  out :  '  There 
they  stood  ;'  that  is,  from  that  time  they  have  been  perverse 
in  their  wickedness,  and  '  the  battle  against  the  children  of 
iniquity  did  not  lay  hold  on  them.'  This  third  exposition  is 
what  I  mostly  approve ;  that  is,  that  the  Israelites,  when 
they  became  ungodly  and  wicked,  though  they  professed 
great  zeal  and  ardour  against  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  did  not 
yet  cease  from  that  time  to  conduct  themselves  perversely 
against  God,  so  that  they  at  last  arrived  at  the  highest  pitch 
of  impiety. 

But  what  follows.  The  battle  in  Gibeah  against  the  children 
of  iniquity  did  not  lay  hold  on  them,  may  also  be  variously 
explained.  Some  say,  that  the  Israelites  ought  not  to  have 
defended  themselves  with  this  shield,  that  God  had  so  severely 
punished  the  Gibeonites  and  their  kindred.  "  The  Lord 
spared  you  once,  but  what  then  ?  He  has  deferred  his 
veno^eance  for  a  long  time  ;  but  will  he  on  that  account  deal 
more  mildly  yn\h  you  now?  Nay,  a  heavier  vengeance 
awaits  you ;  for  from  that  time  he  has  not  forced  repentance 
out  of  you."  But  others  read  the  sentence  as  a  question, 
"  Has  the  battle  in  Gibeah  against  the  children  of  iniquity 
laid  hold  on  you  ?"  But  the  simple  sense  of  the  words  seems 
to  me  to  be  this,  that  the  battle  had  not  laid  hold  on  the 
Israelites,  because  they  had  not  been  touched  by  that  example. 
The  judgments  of  God,  we  know,  are  set  forth  before  our 
eyes,  that  each  of  us  may  apply  them  for  our  own  benefit. 
The  Prophet  now  reproves  the  neglect  of  the  Israehtes  in 
this  matter,  because  they  disregarded  the  event  as  a  thing  of 
no  moment.  Hence  the  battle  did  not  lay  hold  on  them ; 
that  is,  they  did  not  perceive  that  they  were  warned  at  the 
expense  of  others  to  repent,  and  to  live  afterwards  a  holier 
and  purer  life  in  subjection  to  God.  And  this  view  is  con- 
firmed by  the  last  clause,  "  against  the  children  of  iniquity  ;" 
for  why  is  this  expressly  added  by  the  Prophet,  except  that 
the  Lord  testified  that  they  should  not  be  unpunished,  who 
were  like  the  Gibeonites,  with  whom  he  dealt  so  rigidly  and 
severely.      Since,  then,  the  Israelites  had  not  been  touched. 


CHAP.  X.  10.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  371 

their  stupidity  was  hence  proved.  And  for  the  same  reason 
Paul  says,  that  the  wrath  of  God  shall  come  on  the  children 
of  disobedience  or  of  unbelief,  (Eph.  v.  6  :)  for  when  God 
takes  vengeance  on  one  people  or  on  one  man,  he  doubtless 
shows  himself  in  that  particular  judgment  to  be  the  judge  of 
the  world.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  the  genuine  meaning  of 
the  Prophet. 

We  ought  further  to  bear  in  mind,  that  when  men  go  on 
in  their  wickedness,  whatever  sins  their  fathers  have  done 
are  justly  imputed  to  them.  When  we  return  to  the  right 
way,  the  Lord  instantly  buries  all  our  sins,  and  reconciles  us 
to  himself  on  this  condition,  that  he  will  pardon  whatever 
fault  there  may  be  in  us  :  though  we  may,  through  our  whole 
life,  have  provoked  his  wrath  against  us,  he  will  yet,  as  I 
have  said,  instantly  bury  the  whole.  But  if  we  repent  not, 
the  Lord  will  remember,  not  only  our  own  sins,  but  also  those 
of  our  fathers,  as  it  is  evident  from  what  is  here  said  by  the 
Prophet. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  once  appeared  in  the 
person  of  thy  only-begotten  Son,  and  hast  rendered  in  him  thy 
glory  visible  to  us,  and  as  thou  dost  daily  set  forth  to  us  the 
same  Christ  in  the  glass  of  thy  gospel, — O  grant,  that  we,  fix- 
ing oiu'  eyes  on  him,  may  not  go  astray,  nor  be  led  hei*e  and 
there  after  wicked  inventions,  the  fallacies  of  Satan,  and  the 
allurements  of  this  world :  but  may  we  continue  firm  in  the 
obedience  of  faith,  and  persevere  in  it  through  the  whole  course 
of  om-  life,  until  we  be  at  length  fully  transformed  into  the 
image  of  thy  eternal  glory,  which  now  in  part  shines  in  us, 
through  the  same  Christ  our  Lord.    Amen. 


10.  It  is  in  my  desire  that  10.  In  voto  meo  est,  et  castigabo  eos, 
I  should  chastise  them  ;  and  et  congregabuntur  contra  eos  populi,  ubi 
the  people  shall  be  gathered  coUIgati  fuerint  (vel,  se  colligaverint)  in 
against  them,  when  they  duobus  sulcis  suis  (alii  vertunt,  in  duo- 
shall  bind  themselves  in  their  bus  iniquitatibus  suis,  quasi  nomen  esset 
two  fxm-ows.i  ab  py.) 

1  The  word  here  rendered  "  furrows  "  is  not  so  found  any  where  else. 
The  Masoretic  points  have  alone  fixed  to  it  this  meaning.  The  Hebrew 
text  has  DHJ"'!?)  their  spring  or  fountain  ;  and  Keri,  the  marginal  reading, 


372  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.   LECT.  XXVIII. 

When  God  says  that  he  desires  to  chastise  the  people,  he 
intimates  that  this  was  his  purpose,  as  when  one  greatly 
wishes  for  anything ;  and  it  may  be  an  allowable  change  in 
the  sentence,  if  the  copulative  was  omitted,  and  it  be  ren- 
dered thus, — It  is'  in  my  desire  to  chastise  them.  But  to  de- 
part from  the  words  seems  not  to  me  necessary ;  I  therefore 
take  them  apart  as  they  stand,  in  this  sense, — that  God  would 
follow  his  desire  in  chastising  the  people.  The  sentence 
seems  indeed  to  be  repugnant  to  many  others,  in  which  God 
declares  his  sorrow,  when  constrained  to  deal  severely  with 
his  people ;  but  the  two  statements  are  not  discordant. 
Passions,  we  know,  belong  not  to  God  ;  but  in  condescension 
to  men's  capacities,  he  puts  on  this  or  that  character.  When 
he  seems  unwilling  to  inflict  punishment,  he  shows  with  how 
much  love  he  regards  his  own  people,  or  with  what  kind  and 
tender  affection  he  loves  them.  But  yet,  as  he  has  to  do 
with  perverse  and  irreclaimable  men,  he  says  that  he  will 
take  pleasure  in  their  destruction ;  and  for  this  reason  also, 
it  is  said  that  God  will  take  revenge.  We  now  then  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  the  Prophet :  he  intimates,  that  the 
purpose  which  God  had  formed  of  destroying  the  people  of 
Israel  could  not  now  be  revoked ;  for  this  punishment  was 
to  him  his  highest  delight. 

He  further  says,  /  will  chastise  them,  and  assembled  shall 
peoples  be  against  them.  By  these  words  God  shows  that  all 
people  are  in  his  hand,  that  he  can  arm  them  whenever  he 
pleases ;  and  this  truth  is  everywhere  taught  in  the  Scrip- 
tui'es.  God  then  so  holds  all  people  under  his  command, 
that  by  a  hiss  or  a  nod  he  can,  whenever  it  pleases  him,  stir 
them  up  to  war.  Hence,  as  heedless  Israel  laughed  at  God's 
judgment,  he  now  shows  how  effectual  will  be  his  revenge, 
for  he  will  assemble  all  people  for  their  destruction. 

And  for  the  same  purpose  he  adds.  When  they  shall  have 
bound  themselves  in  two  furrows.     By  this  clause  the  Prophet 

and  twelve  MSS.  have  Dni^lJ?,  theii-  sins  or  iniquities.  The  latter  read- 
ing is  countenanced  by  the  Septuagiut,  the  Syriac,  and  the  Vulgate.  Then 
the  right  translation  would  be,  "  when  they  are  bound  to  their  two  ini- 
quities ;"  that  is,  the  two  alliances  with  Assyria  and  Egypt,  or  the  two 
calves,  one  in  Dan,  the  other  at  Bethel. 

"  When  thev  are  chastised  for  their  two  iniquities." — Newcome. 


CHAP.  X.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  373 

warns  the  Israelites,  that  nothing  would  avail  them,  though 
they  fortified  themselves  against  every  danger,  and  though 
they  gathered  strength  on  every  side ;  for  all  their  efforts 
would  not  prevent  God  from  executing  his  vengeance.  When 
therefore  they  shall  he  bound  in  their  two  furrows,  I  will  not  on 
that  account  give  over  to  assemble  the  people  Avho  shall  dis- 
sipate all  their  fortresses.  We  now  apprehend  the  design  of 
the  Prophet.  He  no  doubt  mentions  two  furrows,  with 
reference  to  ploughing ;  for  we  shall  see  that  the  Prophet 
dwells  on  this  metaphor.  However  much  then  the  Israelites 
might  join  together  and  gather  strength,  it  would  yet  be 
easy  for  God  to  gather  people  to  destroy  them. 

Some  refer  this  sentence  to  the  whole  body  of  the  people ; 
for  they  think  that  the  compact  between  the  kingdom  of 
Judah  and  Israel  is  here  pointed  out :  but  this  is  a  mere 
conjecture,  for  history  gives  it  no  countenance.  Others  have 
found  out  another  comment,  that  the  Lord  would  punish  them 
all  together,  since  Judah  had  joined  the  people  of  Israel  in 
worshipping  the  calves :  so  they  think  that  the  common  su- 
perstition was  the  bond  of  alliance  between  the  two  king- 
doms. There  are  others  who  think  that  the  Prophet  alludes 
to  the  two  calves,  one  of  which,  as  it  is  well  known,  was 
Avorshipped  in  Dan,  and  the  other  at  Bethel.  But  all  these 
interpretations  are  too  refined  and  strained.  The  Prophet, 
I  doubt  not,  does  here  simply  mention  the  two  furrows,  be- 
cause the  people,  (as  godless  men  are  wont  to  do,)  relying  on 
their  own  power,  boldly  and  proudly  despised  all  threaten- 
ings.  "  Howsoever,"  he  says,  "  they  may  join  themselves 
together  in  two  furrows,  they  shall  yet  effect  nothing  by  their 
pride  to  prevent  me  from  executing  my  vengeance."  Let  us 
proceed — 

11.  And  Ephraim  is  as  an  heifer  11.  Epliraimjiivencaestedocta 
^/(afts  taught,  awfilovetli  to  tread  out  ad  diligeudum  trituram  ;i  et  ego 
the  corn ;  but  I  passed  over  upon  her    transivi  super  pulchritudiue  colli 

^  This  is  certainly  a  more  literal  rendering  than  our  version,  though 
it  be  not  wholly  so.  The  two  first  lines,  word  for  word,  may  be  thus 
translated, — 

"  And  Ephraim  is  a  trained  heifer, 
Loving  to  tread  the  corn." — Ed. 


374  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXVIII. 

fair  neck  :  I  will  make  Ephraim  to  ejus ;  equitare  faciam  Ephraim, 
ride ;  Judah  shall  plow,  and  Jacob  arabit  Judah,  occabit  sibi  Ja- 
shall  break  his  clods.  cob. 

Some  read  the  two  words,  "  taught,"  and  "  loveth,"  separ- 
ately, T\11j7l2i  tnehmde,  and  ^niHNj  aebti ;  for  they  think 
that  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse  a  reproach  is  conveyed,  as 
though  the  Prophet  had  said,  that  Ephraim  was  wholly  un- 
teachable  :  though  God  had  from  childhood  brought  him  up 
under  his  discipline,  he  yet  now  showed  so  great  stubborn- 
ness, that  he  even  ceased  not  to  rebel  against  God,  and  Avent 
on  obstinately  in  his  own  wickedness.  "  Ephraim  then  is 
like  a  trained  heifer."  But  this  meaning  seems  too  far- 
fetched :  I  therefore  connect  the  whole  together  in  one  con- 
text, and  follow  what  has  been  more  approved,  Ephraim  is 
a  heifer  trained  to  love,  or,  that  she  may  love,  threshing ;  that 
is,  Ephraim  has  been  accustomed  to  love  threshing. 

There  is  here  an  implied  comparison  between  ploughing 
and  threshing.  There  is  more  labour  and  toil,  we  know,  in 
ploughing  than  in  threshing ;  for  the  oxen  are  coupled  to- 
gether, and  then  they  are  compelled  to  obey,  and  in  vain  do 
they  draw  here  and  there,  when  they  are  joined  together. 
But  when  oxen  thresh,  they  are  loose,  and  the  labour  is  less 
toilsome  and  heavy.  The  Prophet  then  means  this, — that 
Ephraim  pretended  some  obedience,  and  yet  would  not  take 
the  yoke,  so  as  to  be  really  and  in  everything  submissive  to 
God.  Other  nations  did  not  understand  what  it  was  to  obey 
God  ;  but  there  was  some  appearance  of  religion  in  Israel ; 
they  indeed  professed  to  worship  the  God  of  Israel,  they  had 
temples  among  them  ;  but  the  Lord  derides  this  hypocrisy, 
and  says, — Ephraim  is  like  a  heifer,  which  will  not  submit  her 
neck  to  the  yoke,  but  will  only,  for  recreation's  sake,  pass 
through  the  threshing-floor  and  tread  the  com,  as  hypocrites 
are  wont  to  do  ;  for  they  do  not  wholly  repudiate  every  truth, 
but  in  part  receive  it ;  yet,  when  the  Lord  presses  on  them 
too  much,  they  then  fiercely  resist,  and  show  that  they  wish 
to  do  according  to  their  own  will.  Almost  the  whole  world 
exhibit,  indeed,  some  appearance  of  obedience,  I  know  not 
what ;  but  they  wish  to  make  a  compact  with  God,  that  he 
should  not  require  more  than  what  their  pleasure  may  allow. 


CHAP.  X.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  375 

When  one  is  a  slave  to  many  vices,  he  desires  a  liberty  for 
these  to  be  allowed  him ;  in  other  things,  he  will  yield  some 
obedience.  We  now  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet, 
and  see  what  he  had  in  view.  He  then  derides  the  hypocri- 
tical service  which  the  Israelites  rendered  to  God  ;  for  they 
were  at  the  same  time  unwilling  to  bear  the  yoke,  and  were 
untameable.  To  the  threshing  they  were  not  unwilling  to 
come ;  for  when  God  commanded  anything  that  was  easy, 
they  either  Avillingly  performed  it,  or  at  least  discharged  their 
duty  somehow  in  that  particular ;  but  they  would  not  ac- 
custom themselves  to  plough. 

Since  it  was  so,  /  ham  passed  over,  he  says,  upon  her  beau- 
tiful neck.  God  shows  why  he  treated  Ephraim  with  seve- 
rity ;  for  he  was  made  to  submit,  because  he  was  so  obstinate. 
'  I  have  passed  over  upon  the  goodness  of  her  neck ;'  that  is, 
"  When  I  saw  that  she  had  a  fat  neck,  and  that  she  refused 
the  yoke,  I  tried,  by  afflictions,  whether  such  stubbornness 
could  be  subdued."  Some  refer  this  to  the  teaching  of  the 
law,  and  say,  that  God  had  passed  over  upon  the  beautiful 
neck  of  Israel,  because  he  had  delivered  his  law  in  common  to 
all  the  posterity  of  Abraham.  But  this  is  foreign  to  the  con- 
text. I  therefore  doubt  not  but  that  the  mind  of  the  Prophet 
was  this, — that  God  here  declares,  that  it  was  not  without 
reason  that  he  had  been  so  severe  in  endeavouring  to  tame 
Israel,  for  he  saw  that  he  could  not  be  otherwise  brought  to 
obedience.  "  Since,  then,  Ephraim  only  loved  the  treading, 
I  wished  to  correct  this  delusion,  and  ought  not  to  have 
spared  him.  If  he  had  been  a  wearied  ox,  or  an  old  one 
broken  down  and  emaciated,  and  of  no  strength,  some  con- 
sideration for  him  ought  to  have  been  had  :  but  as  Israel  had 
a  thick  and  fat  neck,  as  he  was  strong  enough  to  bear  the 
yoke,  and  as  he  yet  loved  his  own  pleasures  and  refused  the 
yoke,  it  -was  needful  that  he  should  be  tamed  by  afflictions. 
/  have  therefore  passed  over  upon  the  goodness,  or  the  beauty, 
of  the  neck  of  Ephraim." 

But  as  God  effected  nothing  in  mildly  chastising  Israel,  he 
now  subjoins, — /  will  rnake  him  to  ride.  Some  render  it,  "  I 
will  ride  :"  but  as  the  verb  is  in  Iliphel,  (the  causative 
mood,)  it  is  necessary  to  cxphiin  it  thus,  that  God  will  make 
Israel  to  ride.     But  what  does  this  mean  ?  They  who  render 


376  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXVIII. 

it,  "  I  will  ride,"  saw  that  they  departed  from  what  grammar 
requires  ;  but  necessity  forced  them  to  this  strained  interpre- 
tation. Others  will  have  7^,  ol,  on,  to  be  understood,  "  I 
Avili  make  to  ride  on  Ephraim,"  and  they  put  in  another  word, 
"I  will  make  the  nations  to  ride  on  Ephraim."  But  the  sentence 
Avill  accord  best  with  the  context,  if  we  make  no  change  in  the 
words  of  the  Prophet.  Nay,  they  who  adduce  the  comments 
1  have  mentioned,  destroy  the  elegance  of  the  expression  and 
pervert  the  meaning.  Thus,  then,  does  God  speak, — "  Since 
Ephraim  loves  treading,  and  the  moderate  punishments  by 
which  I  meant  to  subdue  him  avail  nothing,  I  will  hereafter 
deal  with  him  in  another  way  :  /  ivill  make  him"  he  says,  "  to 
ride :"  that  is,  "  I  Avill  take  him  away,  as  it  were,  through 
the  clouds."  The  Prophet  alludes  to  the  lasciviousness  and 
intemperance  of  Israel ;  for  lust  had  so  carried  away  that 
people,  that  they  could  not  walk  straight,  or  with  a  steady 
step,  but  staggered  here  and  there ;  as  also  Jeremiah  says, 
that  they  were  untameable  bullocks,  (Jer.  xxxi.  18.)  What 
does  God  declare  ?  '  I  will  make  them  to  ride ;'  that  is,  I 
will  deal  Avith  this  people  according  to  their  disposition. 
There  is  a  similar  passage  in  Job,  chap.  xxx. ;  where  the  holy 
man  complains  that  he  was  forcibly  snatched  away,  that  God 
made  him  to  ride  on  the  clouds.  '  God,'  he  says,  '  made  me 
to  ride,'  (he  uses  there  the  same  word.)  What  does  it  mean  ? 
Even  that  the  Lord  had  forcibly  carried  him  here  and  there. 
So  also  the  Prophet  says  here, — "  Israel  is  delicate,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  I  see  so  much  voluptuousness  in  his  nature, 
that  he  cannot  take  the  yoke  ;  nothing  then  remains  for  him 
but  to  ride  on  the  clouds.  But  what  sort  of  riding  will  this 
be  ?  Such  as  that,  when  the  people  shall  be  carried  away 
into  exile  ;  since  they  cannot  rest  quietly  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  since  they  cannot  enjoy  the  blessings  of  God,  they 
shall  ride,  that  is,  they  shall  quickly  be  taken  away  into  a  far 
country."  We  now  then  see  hov/  God  dealt  with  Israel,  when 
he  saw  what  his  disposition  required ;  for  he  could  not  be 
constrained  to  obedience  in  his  own  land  ;  it  was  then  neces- 
sary to  remove  him  elsewhere,  as  it  was  done. 

He  afterwards  subjoins,  Judah  shall  jjlouijh,  Jacob  shall  har- 
roio  for  himself;  that  is,  the  remaining  portion  of  the  people 


CHAP.  X.  12,  13.    COMMENTARIES  ON  IIOSEA.  377 

shall  remain  in  their  afflictions.  These  punishments  were 
indeed  grievous,  when  considered  in  themselves  ;  but  it  was 
far  easier  and  more  tolerable  for  Judah  to  plough  and  to  har- 
row among  his  people,  than  if  he  had  to  ride.  Judah  then 
suffered  grievous  losses,  and  the  Lord  chastised  him  also  Avith 
afflictions  ;  but  this  punishment,  as  I  have  said,  was  much 
less  than  the  other.  It  was  the  same  as  when  an  ox,  drawn 
out  of  the  stall,  is  led  into  the  field,  and  is  forced  to  endure 
his  daily  labour ;  his  toil  is  indeed  heavy  and  grievous  ;  but 
the  ox  at  least  lives  after  his  work,  and  refreshes  himself  by 
his  rest  during  the  night.  He  also  undergoes  some  toil  by 
harrowing,  and  grows  weary;  but  he  returns  to  the  stall;  and 
then  his  master  is  not  so  cruel,  bat  that  he  grants  his  ox  some 
indulgence.  We  hence  see  the  purport  of  this  comparison, 
that  Judah  shall  plough,  and  that  Jacob,  that  is,  the  remaining 
part  of  the  people,  shall  harrow ;  which  means,  that  the  rest 
of  the  people  shall  break  the  clods, — for  to  harrow  among  the 
Latins  is  to  break  the  clods — but  that  the  Lord  will  make 
Ephraim  to  ride.  This,  I  doubt  not,  is  the  genuine  sense  of 
the  passage ;  but  I  leave  to  others  their  own  free  judgment. 
It  now  follows — 

12.  SoAv  to  your-  12.  Semiuate  vobis  ad  justitiam,  coUigite 
selves  in  righteous-  (metite)  ad  mensuram  {vel  pro  inensura)  cle- 
ness,  reap  iu  mercy :  mentiam  (vel^  bonitatem ;)  arate  vobis  arati- 
break  up  your  fallow-  nem  {alii  vertunt^  Novate  vobis  novale,  sicuii 
ground :  for  it  is  time  Jeremice  iv.  :  cceterum  quia  idem  est  sensits^  eyo 
to  seek  the  Lord,  till  relinquo  hoc  libenim  ■)  et  tempus  inquii'endi  Je- 
he  come  aud  raiu  hovam,  douec  veniat,  ct  pluere  faciat  justitiam 
righteousness  upon  vobis  {quanquam  megis  recepta  versio  est^  Doccat 
you.  vos  justitiam.) 

He  exhorts  here  the  Israelites  to  repentance ;  though  it 
seems  not  a  simple  and  bare  exhortation,  but  rather  a  pro- 
testation ;  as  though  the  Lord  had  said,  that  he  had  hitherto 
laboured  in  vain  as  to  the  people  of  Israel,  because  they  had 
ever  continued  obstinate.     For  it  immediately  follows — 

13.  Ye  have  plowed  wickedness,  13.  Ai-astis  impietatcm,  ini(iui- 
ye  have  reaped  iniquity;  ye  have  tatemmessuistos;  comedistisfruc- 
eaten  the  fruit  of  lies ;  because  thou  turn  mendaeii :  (piia  confisus  os 
didst  trust  in  thy  way,  in  tlie  multi-  in  via  tua,  in  multitudincfortium 
tude  of  thy  mighty  men.  tuoruni. 


378  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXVIII. 

The  reason  is  here  found,  why  I  thought  that  the  Prophet 
did  not  sirtiply  exhort  the  people,  but  rather  charged  them 
Avith  obduracy  for  not  growing  better,  though  often  admon- 
ished. He  then  relates  how  much  God  had  previously  done 
to  restore  the  people  to  a  sound  mind ;  for  it  had  been  his 
constant  teaching.  Sow  for  yourselves  righteousness,  reap,  in 
proportion,  kindness,  or  according  to  the  proportion  of  kind- 
ness ;  plough  a  ploughing  for  yourselves  ;  it  is  the  time  to  seek 
the  Lord.  Though  then  the  people  heard  these  Avords  daily, 
and  had  their  ears  almost  stunned  by  them,  they  did  not  yet 
change  for  the  better,  nor  made  themselves  pliable  ;  nay,  as 
it  were  with  a  fixed  purpose,  they  ploughed,  he  says,  ungod- 
liness, they  reaped  iniquity  ;  they  therefore  did  eat  the  fruit 
of  falsehood,  for  they  sustained  just  punishments,  or  satiated 
themselves  with  falsehood  and  treachery.  We  now  appre- 
hend the  meaning  of  the  Prophet :  I  will  come  to  particulars. 

Soicfor  yourselves  righteousness.  He  shows  that  the  salva- 
tion of  this  people  had  not  been  neglected  by  God  ;  for  he 
had  tried  whether  they  were  healable.  The  remedy  was, 
that  the  people  were  to  know  that  God  w^ould  be  pacified 
towards  them,  if  they  devoted  themselves  to  righteousness. 
The  Lord  offered  his  favour :  "  Return  only  to  me;  for  as  soon 
as  the  seed  of  righteousness  shall  be  sown  by  you,  the  har- 
vest shall  be  prepared,  a  reward  shall  be  laid  up  for  you ;  ye 
shall  then  reap  fruit  according  to  your  kindness." 

But  if  any  one  asks,  whether  it  be  in  the  power  of  men  to 
sow  righteousness,  the  answer  is  ready,  and  that  is,  that  the 
Prophet  explains  not  here  how  far  the  ability  of  men  extends, 
but  requires  what  they  ought  to  do.  For  whence  is  it  that 
so  many  of  God's  curses  often  overwhelm  us,  except  that  we 
sow  seed  similar  to  the  produce  ?  that  is,  God  repays  us  what 
we  have  deserved.  This  then  is  what  the  Prophet  shows, 
when  he  says,  "  Sow  for  yourselves  righteousness:"  he  shows 
that  it  was  their  fault,  if  the  Lord  did  not  cherish  them 
kindly  and  bountifully,  and  in  a  paternal  manner;  it  was 
because  their  impiety  suffered  him  not. 

And  the  Prophet  only  speaks  of  the  duties  of  the  second 
table,  as  also  the  Prophets  do,  when  they  exhort  men  to  re- 
pentance :  they  often  begin  with  the  second  table  of  the  law, 


CHAP.  X.  13.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  379 

because  the  perverseness  of  men  with  regard  to  this  is  more 
palpable,  and  they  can  thereby  be  more  easily  convicted. 

But  what  he  afterwards  subjoins,  'y^  11"'J,  niru  nir,  Plough 
the  ploughing,  is  not,  I  confess,  in  its  proper  place ;  but  there 
is  in  this  nothing  inconsistent :  for  after  having  exhorted 
them  to  plough,  he  now  adds,  that  they  were  like  unculti- 
vated and  desert  fields,  so  that  it  was  not  right  to  sow  the 
seed  until  they  had  been  prepared.  The  Prophet  then  ought, 
according  to  the  order  of  nature,  to  have  begun  with  plough- 
ing ;  but  he  simply  said  what  he  wished  to  convey,  that  the 
Israelites  received  not  the  fruit  they  desired,  because  they 
had  only  sown  unrighteousness.  If  they  now  wished  to  be 
dealt  with  more  kindly,  he  shows  the  remedy,  which  is  to  sow 
righteousness.  If  it  was  so,  that  they  were  already  filled 
with  wickedness,  he  shows  that  they  were  like  a  field  over- 
grown with  briers  and  thorns.  When  therefore  a  field  has 
long  remained  uncultivated,  thorns  and  thistles  and  other 
noxious  herbs  grow  there,  and  a  double  ploughing  will  be 
necessary,  and  this  double  labour  is  called  Novation  ;  ^  and 
Jeremiah  speaks  of  the  same  thing,  when  he  shows  that  the 
people  had  grown  hardened  in  their  wickedness,  and  that 
they  could  not  bear  any  fruit  until  the  thorns  were  torn  up 
by  the  roots,  and  until  they  had  been  well  cleansed  from  the 
vices  in  which  they  had  become  fixed  ;  and  hence  he  says, — 
^  Plough  again  your  fallow-ground,'  (Jer.  iv.  3.) 

And  it  is  the  time  for  seeking  Jehovah,  until  he  come.  Here 
the  Prophet  offers  a  hope  of  pardon  to  the  people,  to  encour- 
age them  to  repent :  for  we  know  that  when  men  are  called 
back  to  God,  they  are  torpid  and  even  faint  in  their  minds, 
until  they  are  assui'ed  that  God  will  be  propitious  to  them  ; 
and  this  is  what  we  have  treated  of  more  fully  in  another 
place.  The  Prophet  now  handles  the  same  truth,  that  it  is 
the  time  for  seeking  the  Lord.  He  indeed  uses  the  word  HJ?) 
ot,  which  means  a  seasonable  time.  It  is  then  the  time  for 
seeking  the  Lord ;  as  though  he  said,  "  The  way  of  salvation 
is  not  yet  closed  against  you  ;  for  the  Lord  invites  you  to 
himself,  and  he  is  of  his  own  self  inclined  to  mercy."    This  is 

^  Novatio,  wliicli  means  the  second  ploughing — the  ploughing  ol"  the 
fallow-ground — of  the  ground  once  before  ploughed,  the  novalc. — ii'rf. 


380  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXVIII. 

one  thing.  We  are,  however,  at  the  same  time,  taught  that 
there  ought  to  be  no  delay  ;  for  such  tardiness  will  cost  them 
dear,  if  they  despise  so  kind  an  invitation  of  God,  and  go  on 
in  their  own  obstinacy.  It  is  then  the  time  for  seeking  Jeho- 
vah ;  as  Isaiah  also  says,  '  Seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  call  on  him  while  he  is  nigh  :  Behold,  now  is  the  time 
of  good-pleasure ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation,' 
(Isa.  Iv.  6.)  So  also  in  this  place,  the  Prophet  testifies  that 
God  will  be  easily  entreated,  if  Israel  returned  to  the  right 
way ;  but  that,  if  they  continued  obstinately  in  their  sins, 
this  time  would  not  be  perpetual ;  for  the  door  would  be  shut, 
and  the  people  would  cry  in  vain,  after  having  neglected  this 
seasonable  invitation,  and  abused  the  patience  of  God. 

It  is  then  the  time,  he  says,  for  seeking  the  Lord,  until  he 
come.  This  last  clause  is  a  confirmation  of  the  former ;  for 
the  Prophet  here  expressly  declares  that  it  would  not  be  use- 
less labour  for  Israel  to  begin  to  seek  God — '  He  will  come  to 
you.'  He  at  the  same  time  warns  them  not  to  be  too  hasty 
in  their  expectations ;  for  though  God  may  receive  us  into 
favoiu",  he  does  not  yet  immediately  deliver  us  from  all 
punishments  or  evils.  We  must,  then,  patiently  wait  until 
the  fruit  of  reconciliation  appears.  We  hence  see  that  both 
points  are  here  wisely  handled  by  the  Prophet ;  for  he  would 
have  Israel  to  hasten  with  deep  concern,  and  not  to  delay 
long  the  time  of  repentance,  and  also  to  remain  quiet,  if  God 
did  not  immediately  show  himself  propitious,  and  show  tokens 
of  his  favour  ;  the  Prophet  wished,  in  this  case,  the  people  to 
be  patient. 

Ajid  rain  righteousness  upon  you.  The  word  H^S  ii'e,  means 
indeed  "to  teach,"  and  also  "to  throw;"  but  as  the  word 
n^l/bj  mure,  derived  from  this  verb,  as  it  is  well  known, 
means  the  rain,  I  could  not  explain  it  here  otherwise  than 
"  he  will  rain  righteousness  upon  you."  What,  indeed,  could 
the  teaching  of  righteousness  mean?  For  the  Prophet 
alludes  to  the  harvest ;  and  the  people  might  say,  "  Are  we 
sure  of  provision,  if  we  seek  God  ?"  "  Certainly,"  he  says  ; 
"  he  will  come — ^lie  will  come  to  you,  and  will  rain  righteous- 
ness, or  the  fruit  of  righteousness,  upon  you."  In  short,  the 
Prophet  here  shows,  that  whenever  God  is  sought  sincerely 


CHAP.  X.  13.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  381 

and  from  the  heart  by  sinners,  he  comes  forth  to  meet  them, 
and  shows  himself  kind  and  merciful.  But  as  he  had  spoken 
of  ploughing  and  sowing,  the  fi'uit  or  the  harvest  was  now 
to  be  mentioned ;  that  he  might  therefore  hold  forth  a  pro- 
mise that  they  who  had  sown  righteousness  would  not  lose 
their  expense  and  toil,  he  says,  the  Lord  will  rain  upon  you 
the  fruit  of  righteousness. 

Now  follows  the  other  verse,  which,  as  I  have  said,  com- 
pletes the  passage,  Ye  have  ploughed  ungodliness,  iniquity  have 
ye  reaped :  ye  have  eaten  the  fruit  of  falsehood.  The  Prophet 
shows  that  the  people  had  in  vain  been  daily  admonished, 
and  so  kindly  and  sweetly  allured  by  the  Lord ;  for  they  had 
not  only  slighted  wholesome  warnings,  but  had,  in  their  per- 
verse wickedness,  abandoned  themselves  to  a  contrary  course  : 
ye  have  ploughed,  he  says,  impiety ;  God  has  exhorted  you  to 
sow  righteousness, — what  have  ye  sown  ?  Impiety  ;  and  then 
ye  have  reaped  iniquity.  Some  think  that  the  punishments 
which  the  people  had  to  bear  are  pointed  out  here ;  as  though 
the  Prophet  had  said,  "  God  has  returned  to  you  such  a  pro- 
duce as  was  suitable  to  your  sowing ;  ye  are  therefore  satiated 
with  falsehood — that  is,  with  your  own  false  confidence."  But 
he  seems  rather  to  pursue  the  same  strain  of  thought,  and  to 
say,  that  they  had  ploughed  impiety — that  is,  that  they  had 
been  from  the  beginning  ungodly ;  and  then,  that  they  had 
reaped  iniquity — that  is,  that  they  had  continued  their  wicked- 
ness to  the  very  harvest,  and  laid  up  their  fruit  as  it  were  in 
a  storehouse,  that  they  might  satiate  themselves  with  treach- 
ery. The  Prophet,  I  think,  speaks  in  this  sense;  but  let 
there  be  a  free  choice.  I  only  show  what  seems  to  me  most 
suitable. 

For  it  follows  then.  For  thou  hast  trusted  in  thine  own  way, 
in  the  multitude  of  thy  valiant  ones.  Here  the  Prophet  points 
out  the  chief  spring-head  of  all  sins  ;  for  the  Israelites,  trust- 
ing in  their  own  counsels,  gave  no  ear  to  the  word  of  God  : 
and  then,  being  fortified  by  their  own  strength,  they  dreaded 
not  his  judgments,  nor  fled  to  his  pledged  protection  to  defend 
them.  This  pride  is  not  then  named  here  by  the  Prophet 
without  reason  as  the  chief  source  of  all  sins.  For  when  one 
distrusts  his  own  wisdom,  or  is  afraid,  being  conscious  of  his 


382  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXVIII. 

weakness,  he  can  be  easily  subdued ;  but  when  pride  possesses 
man's  mind,  so  that  he  thinks  himself  wise,  nothing  will  then 
prevail  mth  him,  neither  counsel  nor  instruction.  It  is  the 
same  when  any  one  greatly  extols  his  own  strength,  and  is 
inflated  with  pride,  he  cannot  be  made  tractable,  were  he 
admonished  a  hundred  times.  The  Prophet  then  defines  here 
the  falsehood,  the  impiety,  and  the  iniquity  of  which  he  had 
been  speaking.  For  though  the  people  sinned  in  various 
ways,  the  fountain  and  root  was  in  this  lie  or  falsehood,  that 
they  were  wont  to  set  up  their  own  strength  in  opposition  to 
God,  and  thought  themselves  so  endued  with  wisdom,  that 
they  had  no  need  of  teachers.  Since,  then,  the  people  were 
so  blinded  with  their  own  pride,  the  Prophet  shows  here  that 
it  was  this  lie  with  Avhich  they  had  satiated  themselves.  It 
follows — 

14.  Therefore  shall  a  tumult  arise  14.  Et  (vel,  ideo,  copula  enim 
among  the  people,  and  aU  thy  foit-  illativam  particulam  valet,  ideo) 
resses  shall  be  spoiled,  as  Shalman  siu'get  tumultus  in  populis  tuis  ; 
spoiled  Betharbel  in  the  day  of  battle :  et  unaqujeque  munitionum  tua- 
the  mother  was  dashed  in  pieces  upon  rum  vastabitm-,  secundum  vasta- 
her  childi'en.  tionem   Salman    Beth-arbel :  in 

die    proelii    mater    super    filios 
aUidetur. 

15.  So  shall  Bethel  do  unto  you,  15.  Secundum  (hoc  modo) 
because  of  your  gi-eat  wickedness:  faciet  vobis  Bethel  a  facie  malitise, 
in  a  morning  shaU  the  king  of  Israel  malitise  vestrge :  in  aurora  per- 
be  utterly  cut  off.  eundo  peribit  rex  Israel. 

The  Prophet  here  denounces  punishment,  having  before 
exposed  to  view  the  sins  of  the  people,  and  sufficiently  proved 
them  guilty,  who  by  subterfuges  avoided  judgment.  He  now 
adds,  that  God  would  be  a  just  avenger.  A  tumult  then  shall 
arise  among  thy  people.  Thou  hast  hitherto  satiated  thyself 
with  falsehood ;  for  hope  in  thine  own  courage  has  inebriated 
thee,  and  also  a  false  notion  of  wisdom ;  but  the  Lord  will 
suddenly  stir  up  tumults  among  thy  people  ;  that  is,  a  tumult 
shall  in  one  moment  arise  on  every  side.  He  intimates  that 
its  progress  would  not  be  slow,  but  that  the  tumult  would  be 
such  as  would  confound  things  from  one  corner  of  the  land 
to  the  other.  A  tumult  then,  or  perdition,  shall  arise  among 
thy  people ;  for  the  Avord  jlJ^tJ^,  shaun,  means  perdition  or 
destruction  ;  but  I  prefer  "  tumult,"  as  the  verb,  arise,  DNp? 
kam,  seems  to  require.      "  Every  one  of  thy  fortresses,"  he 


CHAP.  X.  14,  15.   COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  333 

says,  "shall  be  demolishecl."  He  shows  that  whatever 
strength  the  people  had  would  be  weak  and  wholly  useless, 
when  the  Lord  had  begun  to  raise  a  tumult ;  for  this  tumult 
would  reduce  to  ruin  all  their  fortified  cities. 

He  then  adds  an  instance,  which  some  refer  to  Shalmanezar. 
He  only  mentions  Shalman ;  and  Shalmanezar  is  indeed  a 
compound  name ;  but  it  is  not  known  whether  the  Prophet 
had  put  down  here  his  name  in  its  simple  form,  Shalman  :  and 
then  he  mentions  Betharbel,  a  city,  referred  to  in  some  parts 
of  Scripture,  which  was,  with  respect  to  Judea,  beyond 
Jordan.  If  we  receive  this  opinion,  it  seems  that  the  Pro- 
phet wished  to  revive  the  memory  of  a  recent  slaughter, 
"  Ye  know  what  lately  happened  to  you  when  Shalmanezar 
marched  with  so  much  cruelty  through  your  country,  when 
he  laid  waste  your  villages,  and  towns,  and  cities ;  and  ye 
especially  know  how  fierce  the  battle  was  in  Betharbel,  when 
a  carnage  was  made,  when  mothers  were  violently  thrown  on 
their  children,  when  the  enemy  spared  neither  sex  nor  age, 
which  in  the  worst  wars  is  a  most  cruel  thing."  Such,  then,  may 
have  been  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  But  others  think 
that  he  relates  a  history,  which  is  nowhere  else  to  be  found. 
However  this  may  be,  it  appears  that  the  Prophet  spake  of 
some  slaughter  which  was  in  his  day  well  known.  Tlien  the 
report  of  it  was  common  enough,  whether  it  was  a  slaughter 
made  by  Shalmanezar,  or  any  other,  of  which  there  is  no 
express  mention  found.  We  now  see  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet ;  but  we  cannot  finish  to-day. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  remain  yet  in  our  own  wicked- 
ness, though  often  warned  and  sweetly  invited  by  thee,  and  as 
thou  prevailest  not  with  us  by  thy  daily  instruction, — O  gi'ant, 
that  we  may,  in  a  spirit  of  meekness,  at  length  tuni  to  thy 
service,  and  fight  against  the  hardness  and  obstinacy  of  our 
flesh,  till  we  render  ourselves  submissive  to  thee,  and  not  wait 
until  thou  puttest  forth  thy  hand  against  us,  or  at  least  so  profit 
under  thy  chastisements,  as  not  to  constrain  thee  to  execute 
extreme  vengeance  against  us,  but  to  repent  without  delay  ;  and 
that  we  may  indeed,  without  hypocrisy,  plough  under  tliy  yoke, 
and  so  enjoy  thj^  special  blessings,  that  thou  mayest  show  thy- 
self to  us  not  only  as  our  Lord,  but  also  as  our  Father,  full  of 
mercy  and  kindness,  through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


384  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXIX. 


We  explained  yesterday  the  14th  verse  of  chap,  x.,  in 
which  the  Prophet  denounced  the  vengeance  of  God  on  his 
people,  such  as  they  had  experienced  either  when  the  country 
was  laid  waste  by  the  army  of  Shalmanezar,  or  when  some 
other  slaughter  was  made.  From  the  words,  we  certainly 
learn  that  a  battle  had  been  fought  in  Arbel,  which  was  a 
town,  as  we  have  said,  beyond  Jordan.  But  the  Prophet 
shows  also  how  much  had  been  the  atrocity  of  that  battle, 
and  how  grievous  and  dreadful  would  be  that  slaughter  which 
he  now  threatens  to  the  people,  by  saying  that  even  the 
mother  had  been  violently  thrown  upon  her  children.  And 
the  Prophet  also  shows  that  God's  vengeance  would  be  just, 
because  the  Israelites  had  provoked  God  by  their  supersti- 
tions. 

He  then  points  out  in  the  last  verse  the  cause  why  the 
Lord  would  deal  so  severely  with  his  people  ;  and  his  manner 
of  speaking  ought  to  be  observed.  So,  he  says,  shall  Bethel 
do  unto  you.  He  might  have  said, '  So  will  God  do  unto  you ;' 
but  he  more  distinctly  shows  that  the  evil,  or  the  cause  of  the 
evil,  was  in  themselves ;  Bethel,  he  says,  shall  do  this  unto  you. 
It  is  certain  that  the  war  did  not  arise  from  Bethel ;  but  as 
they  had  corrupted  the  worship  of  God  by  worshipping  the 
calf,  the  Prophet  says,  that  the  Assyrian  was  not,  properly 
speaking,  the  author  of  this  slaughter,  but  that  it  was  to  be 
imputed  to  that  corruption  which  had  arisen  in  Bethel. 
Bethel  then  shall  do  this  unto  you. 

But  he  adds,  Because  of  wickedness — of  your  icickedness. 
Some  give  this  explanation,  "  Because  of  the  wickedness  of 
wickedness,"  by  which  is  expressed  something  extreme,  as  the 
genitive  case  is  often  used  by  the  Hebrews  in  the  place  of 
the  superlative  degree ;  but  it  may  be  viewed  as  a  simple 
repetition,  "  This  shall  be  for  wickedness — your  wickedness, 
and  it  shall  be  so,  that  ye  may  not  be  able  to  transfer  the 
blame  to  any  other  cause  ;  for  ye  are  yourselves  the  authors 
of  all  the  evils." 


CHAP.  XI.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  385 

He  says,  in  the  last  place,  In  a  morning  shall  the  king  of 
Israel  he  utterly  cut  off,  or,  b}^  perishing  shall  perish.  The 
Prophet  means  by  these  words,  that  the  Lord  would  so  pun- 
ish the  people  of  Israel,  that  it  would  appear  plain  enough, 
that  it  was  not  done  by  man  or  by  chance ;  for  the  Lord 
would  suddenly  overturn  that  kingdom  which  had  been  so 
well  fortified,  which  flourished  so  much  in  wealth  and  power. 
Cut  off  then  in  a  morning,  or  in  one  morning,  shall  he  the  king 
of  Israel.  Some  read,  "  as  the  morning,"  instead  of,  "  in  a 
morning,"  ^TW2^  cashicher,  for  intJ^i?  heshicher.  *  The  king 
of  Israel  shall  perish  like  the  dawn ;'  for  the  dawn,  we  know, 
immediately  disappears  when  the  sun  rises :  the  sun  brings 
with  it  the  full  day,  and  then  the  dawn  immediately  passes 
away.  But  the  other  is  the  more  correct  reading,  as  it  has 
also  been  more  commonly  received,  that  is,  "  In  a  morning,  or 
in  one  morning,  shall  the  king  of  Israel  perish  ;"  as  we  say  in 
French,  Cela  n'est  que  pour  iin  desiuner.  For  that  proud 
people  thought  that  no  adversity  could  happen  to  them  for 
many  years,  as  they  had  a  blind  confidence  in  their  own 
strength.  The  Prophet  derides  this  madness,  and  says,  that 
the  slaughter  would  be  sudden,  that  the  king  Avould  in  a 
moment  be  destroyed,  though  he  thought  himself  well  sup- 
plied with  soldiers  and  all  other  defences.     Now  follows — 


CHAPTER  XL 

1.  When  Israel        1 .  Quia  puer  Israel,  et  dilexi  eura  {hoc  est,  Quaudo 

was  a  child,  then  adhuc  puer  erat  Israel ;  13  7ion  accipitur  hie  causaUter, 

I  loved  him,  and  sedadvcrbiumesttemporis:  Quumer«7o  puer  erat  Israel, 

called  ray  sou  out  tunc  dilexi  cum;)  et  ex  Egypto  vocavi  filium  meum 

of  Egypt.  (ad  verbum  est,  clamavi  ad  lilium  meum.) 

God  here  expostulates  Avith  the  people  of  Israel  for  their 
ingratitude.  The  obligation  of  the  people  was  twofold ;  for 
God  had  embraced  them  from  the  very  first  beginning,  and 
when  there  was  no  merit  or  worthiness  in  them.  What  else, 
indeed,  was  the  condition  of  the  people  when  emancipated 
from  their  servile  works  in  Egypt  ?  They  doubtless  seemed 
then  like  a  man  half-dead  or  a  putrid  carcase  ;  for  they  had 
no  vigour  remaining  in  them.  The  Lord  then  stretched  forth 
VOL.  I.  2  b 


386  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXIX. 

his  hand  to  the  people  when  in  so  hopeless  a  state,  drew  them 
out,  as  it  were,  from  the  grave,  and  restored  them  from  death 
into  life.  But  the  people  did  not  acknowledge  this  so  wonder- 
ful a  favour  of  God,  but  soon  after  petulantly  turned  their 
back  on  him.  What  baseness  was  this,  and  how  shameful 
the  wickedness,  to  make  such  a  return  to  the  author  of  their 
life  and  salvation  ?  The  Prophet  therefore  enhances  the  sin 
and  baseness  of  the  people  by  this  circumstance,  that  the 
Lord  had  loved  them  even  from  childhood ;  when  yet,  he  says, 
Israel  teas  a  child,  I  loved  him.  The  nativity  of  the  people 
was  their  coming  out  of  Egypt.  The  Lord  had  indeed  made 
his  covenanr  with  Abraham  four  hundred  years  before ;  and,  as 
we  know,  the  patriarchs  were  also  regarded  by  him  as  his  child- 
ren: but  God  wished  his  Church  to  be,  as  it  were,  extinguished, 
when  he  redeemed  it.  Hence  the  Scripture,  when  it  speaks 
of  the  liberation  of  the  people,  often  refers  to  that  favour  of 
God  in  the  same  way  as  of  one  born  into  the  world.  It  is 
not  therefore  without  reason  that  the  Prophet  here  reminds 
the  people  that  they  had  been  loved  when  in  childhood.  The 
proof  of  this  love  was,  that  they  had  been  brought  out  of 
Egypt.  Love  had  preceded,  as  the  cause  is  always  before 
the  effect. 

But  the  Prophet  enlarges  on  the  subject :  I  loved  Israel,  even 
while  he  was  yet  a  child ;  I  called  him  out  of  Egypt ;  that  is,  "  I 
not  only  loved  him  when  a  child,  but  before  he  was  born  I 
began  to  love  him  ;  for  the  liberation  from  Egypt  was  the 
nativity,  and  my  love  preceded  that.  It  then  appears,  that 
the  people  had  been  loved  by  me,  before  they  came  forth  to 
the  light ;  for  Egypt  was  like  a  grave  without  any  spark  of 
life  ;  and  the  condition  this  miserable  people  was  in  was  worse 
than  thousand  deaths.  Then  by  calling  my  people  from  Egypt, 
I  sufficiently  proved  that  my  love  was  gratuitous  before  they 
were  born."  The  people  were  hence  less  excusable  when  they 
returned  such  an  unworthy  recompense  to  God,  since  he  had 
previously  bestowed  his  free  favour  upon  them.  We  now 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

But  here  arises  a  difficult  question ;  for  jNIatthew,  in  chap, 
ii.,  accommodates  this  passage  to  the  person  of  Christ.  They 
who  have  not  been  well  versed  in  Scripture  have  confidently 


CHAP.  XI.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  387 

applied  to  Christ  this  place ;  yet  the  context  is  opposed  to 
this.  Hence  it  has  happened,  that  scoffers  have  attempted 
to  disturb  the  whole  religion  of  Christ,  as  though  the  Evange- 
list had  misapplied  the  declaration  of  the  Prophet.  They 
give  a  more  suitable  answer,  who  say  that  there  is  in  this  case 
only  a  comparison :  as  when  a  passage  from  Jeremiah  is 
quoted  in  another  place,  when  the  cruelty  of  Herod  is  men- 
tionedj  who  raged  against  all  the  infants  of  his  dominion,  who 
were  under  two  years  of  age,  'Kachel,  bewailing  her  children, 
would  not  receive  consolation,  because  they  were  not,'  (Jer. 
xxxl.  15.)  The  Evangelist  says  that  this  prophecy  was 
fulfilled,  (Mattli.  li.  18.)  But  it  is  certain  that  the  object  of 
J  eremlah  was  another ;  but  nothing  prevents  that  that  decla- 
ration should  not  be  applied  to  what  Matthew  relates.  So 
they  understand  this  place.  But  I  think  that  Matthew  had 
more  deeply  considered  the  purpose  of  God  In  having  Christ 
led  into  Egypt,  and  in  his  return  afterwards  into  Judea.  In 
the  first  place,  It  must  be  remembered  that  Christ  cannot  be 
separated  from  his  Church,  as  the  body  will  be  mutilated  ari4 
imperfect  without  a  head.  Whatever  then  happened  formerly " 
in  the  Church,  ought  at  length  to  be  fulfilled  by  the  head. 
This  is  one  thing.  Then  also  there  Is  no  doubt,  but  that  God 
in  his  wonderful  providence  Intended  that  his  Son  should 
come  forth  from  Egypt,  that  he  might  be  a  redeemer  to  the 
faithful ;  and  thus  he  shows  that  a  true,  real,  and  perfect 
deliverance  was  at  length  effected,  when  the  promised 
Kedeemer  appeared.  It  was  then  the  full  nativity  of  the 
Church,  when  Christ  came  forth  from  Egypt  to  redeem  his 
Church.  So  In  my  view  that  comment  Is  too  frigid,  which 
embraces  the  idea,  that  Matthew  made  only  a  comparison. 
For  It  behoves  us  to  consider  this,  that  God,  when  he  for- 
merly redeemed  his  people  from  Egypt,  only  showed  by  a 
certain  prelude  the  redemption  which  he  deferred  till  the 
coming  of  Christ.  Hence,  as  the  body  was  then  brought 
forth  from  Egypt  Into  Judea,  so  at  length  the  head  also 
came  forth  from  Egypt :  and  then  God  fully  showed  him  to 
be  the  true  deliverer  of  his  people.  This  then  is  the  meaning. 
Matthew  therefore  most  fitly  accommodates  this  passage  to 
Cln-ist,  that  God  loved  his  Son  from  his  first  childhood,  and  called 


388  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIX. 

liim  from  Egypt.  We  know  at  the  same  time  that  Christ  is 
called  the  Son  of  God  in  a  respect  different  from  the  people 
of  Israel;  for  adoption  made  the  children  of  Abraham  the 
children  of  God,  but  Christ  is  by  nature  the  only-begotten 
Son  of  God.  But  his  own  dignity  must  remain  to  the  head, 
that  the  body  may  continue  in  its  inferior  state.  There  is 
then  in  this  nothing  inconsistent.  But  as  to  the  charge  of 
ingratitude,  that  so  great  a  favour  of  God  was  not  acknow- 
ledged, this  cannot  apply  to  the  person  of  Christ,  as  we  well 
know ;  nor  is  it  necessary  in  this  respect  to  refer  to  him  ;  for 
"we  see  from  other  places  that  every  thing  does  not  apply  to 
Christ,  which  is  said  of  David,  or  of  the  high  priest,  or  of  the 
posterity  of  David ;  though  they  were  types  of  Christ.  But 
there  is  ever  a  great  difference  between  the  reality  and  its 
symbols.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

2.  As  they  called  them,  so  they  2.  Vocaruut  illos  (vel,  clamaverunt 

■went    from   them  :    thej^  sacri-  ad  illos :)   sic  ambulaveruut  a  facie 

ficed  unto  Baalim,  and  bm'ued  in-  illorum :  Baalim  sacrificia  obtnlermit, 

cense  to  graven  images.  et  sculptilibus  suffitimi  fecermit. 

The  Prophet  now  repeats  the  ingratitude  of  the  people 
in  neglecting  to  keep  in  mind  their  redemption.  The  word, 
"  called,"  is  here  to  be  taken  in  a  different  sense.  For  God 
effectually  called,  as  they  say,  the  people,  or  his  Son,  from 
Egypt:  he  has  again  called  by  the  outward  voice  or  teaching 
through  his  Prophets.  Hence,  when  he  said  before  that  he 
called  his  Son  from  Egypt,  it  ought  to  be  understood,  as  they 
say,  of  actual  liberation :  but  now  when  he  says,  T/iei/ 
have  called  them,  it  is  to  be  understood  of  teaching.  The 
name  of  the  Prophets  is  not  expressed ;  but  that  they  are 
intended  is  plain.  And  the  Prophet  seems  designedly  to  have 
said  in  an  indefinite  manner,  that  the  people  had  been  called, 
that  the  indignity  might  appear  more  evident,  as  they  had  been 
called  so  often  and  by  so  many,  and  yet  had  refused.  Hence, 
thei/  have  called  them.  When  he  thus  speaks,  he  is  not  to 
be  understood  as  referi'ing  to  one  or  two  men,  or  to  a  few,  but 
as  including  a  great  number  of  men,  doing  this  everywhere. 
Even  thus  now  have  they  called  them ;  that  is,  this  people  have 
been  called,  not  once  or  twice,  but  constantly ;  and  God  has 


\ 


CHAP.  XI.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  389 

not  only  sent  one  messenger  or  preacher  to  call  them,  but 
there  have  been  many  Prophets,  one  after  the  other,  often 
thus  employed,  and  yet  without  any  benefit.  We  now  per- 
ceive what  the  Prophet  meant. 

They  have  called  them,  he  says,  so  they  went  away  from  their 
presence}  The  particle  so,  p,  can,  is  introduced  here  to 
enliven  the  description ;  for  the  Prophet  points  out,  as  by 
the  finger,  how  wickedly  they  conspired  to  execute  their  own 
counsels,  as  if  they  wished  purposely  to  show  in  an  open 
manner  their  contempt.  So  they  went  away  ;  when  the  Pro- 
phets called  them  to  one  course,  they  proceeded  in  an  oppo- 
site one.  We  then  see,  that  to  point  out  thus  their  conduct 
was  not  superfluous,  when  he  says,  that  they  in  this  manner 
went  away  :  and  then  he  says,  from  their  face.  Here  he 
shows  that  the  people  sought  hiding-places  and  shunned  the 
light.  We  may  indeed  conclude  from  these  words,  that  so 
great  was  the  perverseness  of  the  people,  that  they  not  only 
Avished  to  be  alienated  from  God,  but  also,  that  they  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Prophets.  It  is  indeed  a  proof 
of  extreme  wickedness,  when  instruction  itself  is  a  weari- 
ness, and  ministers  cannot  be  endured ;  and  no  doubt  the 
Prophet  meant  to  set  forth  this  sin  of  the  people. 

He  afterwards  says,  that  they  sacrificed  unto  Baalim,  and 
burnt  incense  to  graven  images.  In  the  former  clause,  he 
shows  the  contumacy  of  the  Israelites,  that  they  deigned  not 
to  give  ear  to  God's  servants.  He  now  adds,  that  they  made 
incense  to  graven  images,  and  also  offered  worship  to  their 
idols.  By  Baalim,  as  it  has  been  already  stated,  the  Prophet 
means  the  inferior  gods.  For  no  such  stupidity  prevailed 
among  the  people  as  not  to  think  that  there  is  some  chief 
deity;  nay,  even  profane  Gentiles  confessed  that  there  is 
some  supreme  God.  But  they  called  their  advocates  (patru- 
nos)  Baalim,  as  we  see  to  be  the  case  at  this  day  under  the 
Papacy,  this  same  office  is  transferred  to  the  dead ;  they  are 
to  procure  for  men  the  favour  of  God.     The  Papists  then 

^  Ilorsley,  Newcome,  and  others,  have  unnecessarily  divided  here  the 
compouuded  word,  Dn''3DfDi  "  from  their  presence,"  and  have  thereby 
destroyed  the  force  of  the  passage,  as  it  appears  from  subsequent  re- 
marks.— Ed. 


390  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIX. 

have  no  grounds  for  seeking  an  evasion  by  words ;  for  the 
very  same  superstition  prevails  at  this  time  among  them,  as 
prevailed  formerly  among  Gentiles  and  the  people  of  Israel. 
Here  the  Prophet  enhances  the  Avickedness  of  the  people ; 
for  they  not  only  contemptuously  neglected  every  instruc- 
tion In  religion,  but  also  openly  perverted  the  whole  worship 
of  God,  and  abandoned  themselves  to  all  abominations,  so  as 
to  burn  incense  to  their  own  Idols.     Let  us  go  on — 

3.  I  taught  Ephraim  3.  Et  ego  ad  pedes  deduxi  eum  (vel,  ad 
also  to  go,  taking  them  by  pedes  deductiomea)  ad  Ephraim  attolleudum 
their  arms  ;  but  they  knew  (vel,  sustulit)  supra brachiasua,^  et  non  cog- 
not  that  I  healed  them.  noverunt  quod  sanaverim  eos. 

Here  again  God  amplifies  the  sin  of  the  people,  by  saying, 
that  by  no  kindness,  even  for  a  long  time,  could  they  be 
allured,  or  turned,  or  reformed,  or  reduced  to  a  sound  mind. 
It  was  surely  enough,  that  the  people  of  Israel,  who  had  been 
brought  by  the  hand  of  God  from  the  grave  to  the  light  of 
life,  should  have  repudiated  every  instruction ;  it  was  a  great 
and  an  atrocious  sin  ;  but  now  God  goes  on  farther,  and  says, 
that  he  had  not  ceased  to  show  his  love  to  them,  and  yet 
had  attained  nothing  by  his  perseverance ;  for  the  wickedness 
and  depravity  of  the  people  were  incurable.  Hence  he  says, 
I  have  led  Ephraim  on  foot."  Some  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  a 
noun,  from  7^1'^,  regel,  foot,  and  it  seems  the  most  suitable. 
For  otherwise  there  will  be  a  change  of  a  letter,  which  gram- 
marians do  not  allow  in  the  beginning  of  a  word ;  for  T\,  tau^ 
in  this  case  would  be  put  instead  of  H?  he ;  and  put  so  as  if  it 
was  of  frequent  occurrence  in  Hebrew ;  but  no  such  instance 
can  be  adduced.  8o  they  who  are  skilful  in  the  language 
think  that  for  this  reason  it  Is  a  noun,  and   with  them  I 


^  One  MS.  and  the  early  versions  have  "  my  arms,"  and  this  reading 
is  adopted  by  Newcvme. — Ed. 

2  The  word  occurs  no  where  in  Scriptm-e  but  here.  Gesetiius  in  his 
Lexicon  gives  it  as  a  quadrUiteral  verb,  and  says  that  it  means  "  to 
teach  to  go,"  or,  "  to  guide  the  steps."  But  Parkhurst  is  of  the  same 
opinion  with  Calvin,  and  renders  it  "  a  footing,"  or,  "  going  on  foot,"  and 
translates  this  passage  thus : — "  And  as  for  me,  my  footing  was  for 
Ephraim  ;"  q.  d.,  "  I  footed  after  him,  I  attended  him  on  foot,  as  a  nurse 
does  a  child."  ^wa-tor/"  considers  that  n  is  put  for  n,  and  regards  it  as  a 
Hiphil  of  the  verb  ^j-;,  "  I  have  footed,"  or,  "  taught  Ephraim  how  to 
foot  or  walk."    Newcome  is  of  the  same  opinion. — Ed. 


CnAP.  XI.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  391 

agree.     They,  however,  who  regard  it  as  a  verb,  give  this 
view, — "I  have  led  him  on  foot,"  Tl/Jlinj  tereffelfi;  that  is, 
as  a  child  who  cannot  yet  walk  with  a  firm  foot,  is   by 
degrees  accustomed  to  do  so,  and  the  nurse,  or  the  father,  or 
the  mother,  who  lead  him,  have  a  regard  for  his  infancy ;  so 
also  have  I  led  Israel,  as  much  as  his  feet  could  bear.     But 
the  other  version  is  less  obscure,  and  that  is,  Mt/  walking  on 
foot  was  for  him  ;  that  is,  I  humbled  myself  as  mothers  are 
wont  to  do  ;  and  hence  he  says,  that  he  had  carried  the  people 
on  his  shoulders  ;  and  we  shall  presently  see  the  same  com- 
parison used.     And  Moses  says  in  Deut.  chap,  xxxii.,  that 
the  people  had  been  carried  on  God's  wings,  or  that  God  had 
expanded  his  wings  like  the  eagle  who  flies  over  her  young 
ones.     With  regard  to  the  matter  itself,  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet  is  not  obscure ;  for  he  means,  that  this  people  had 
been  treated  by  God  in  a  paternal  and  indulgent  manner ; 
and  also,  that  the  perseverance  of  the  Lord  in  continuing  to 
bestow  his  blessings  on  them  had  been  without  any  fruit. 

He  afterwards  adds.  To  carry  on  his  arms.  Some  render 
the  expression,  DHpj  kochem,  "  He  carried  them,"  as  if  the 
verb  were  in  the  past  tense;  and  they  consider  the  word,  Moses, 
to  be  understood.  But  it  is  God  who  speaks  here.  Some 
think  it  to  be  an  infinitive — "  To  carry,"  as  when  one  carries 
another  on  his  shoulders;  and  this  seems  to  be  the  most  suit- 
able exposition.  There  is  in  the  sense  no  ambiguity ;  for  the 
design  of  the  Prophet  is  what  I  have  already  stated,  which  is 
to  show  that  this  people  were  most  wicked  in  not  obeying 
God,  since  they  had  been  so  kindly  treated  by  Him.  For 
what  could  they  have  expected  more  than  what  God  had 
done  for  them  ?  As  he  also  says  by  Isaiah,  '  What,  my 
vine,  ought  I  to  have  done  more  than  what  I  have  done  ?' 
So  also  in  this  place.  My  walking  has  been  onfootioith  Ephraim; 
and  for  this  end,  to  carry  them,  as  when  one  carries  another 
in  his  arms.  '  They  yet,'  he  says,  '  did  not  know  that  I 
healed  them  ; '  that  is,  "  Neither  the  beginning  of  my  good- 
ness, nor  its  continued  exercise,  avails  anything  with  them. 
When  I  brought  them  forth  from  Egypt,  I  restored  the  dead 
to  life ;  this  kindness  has  been,  blotted  out.  Again,  in  the 
desert  I  testified,  in  various  ways,  that  I  was  their  best  and 


392  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIX. 

most  indu]o;ent  Father  :  I  have  in  this  instance  also  lost  all 
my  labour."  How  so  ?  "  Because  my  favour  has  been  in  no 
way  acknowledged  by  this  perverse  and  foolish  people."  We 
now  then  see  what  the  Prophet  meant :  and  he  continues  the 
same  subject  in  the  next  verse. 

4.  I  drew  them  with  the  4.  In  funibus  hominum  trahara  eos  (hoc 

cords  of  a  man,  with  bands  est,  traxi  eos)  in  vincnlis  amoris  :  et  fui 

of  love  :  and  I  was  to  them  illis  sicuti  qui  attollunt  juginn  super  maxil- 

as  they  that  take  off  the  las  :  et  attuli  super  eos  cibum  (vel,  feci  eos 

yoke  on  their  jaws,  and  I  coraedere)    quiete.      (Dicemus  posiea    de 

laid  meat  unto  them.  utroqiie  sensu.) 

The  Prophet  states,  first,  that  this  people  had  not  been  se- 
verely dealt  with,  as  either  slaves,  or  oxen,  or  asses,  are  wont 
to  be  treated.  He  had  said  before,  that  the  people  of  Israel 
were  like  a  heifer,  which  shakes  off  the  yoke,  and  in  wanton- 
ness loves  only  the  treading  of  corn.  But  though  the  per- 
verseness  of  the  people  was  so  great,  yet  God  shows  here  that 
he  had  not  used  extreme  rigour :  /  have  drawn  him,  he  says, 
tvith  human  cords  and  lovely  bands.  By  the  cords  of  man,  he 
means  humane  government.  "  I  have  not,"  he  says,  "  treated 
you  as  slaves,  but  dealt  with  you  as  with  children;  and  I  have 
not  regarded  you  as  cattle,  I  have  not  driven  you  into  a  stall ; 
but  I  have  only  drawn  you  with  lovely  bands."  The  sum  of 
the  whole  is,  that  the  government  which  God  had  laid  on  the 
people  was  a  certain  and  singular  token  of  his  paternal  favour, 
so  that  the  people  could  not  complain  of  too  much  rigour,  as 
if  God  had  considered  their  disposition,  and  had  used  a  hard 
wedge  (as  the  common  proverb  is)  for  a  hard  knot ;  for  if 
God  had  dealt  thus  with  the  people,  they  could  have  objected, 
and  said,  that  they  had  not  been  kindly  drawn  by  him,  and 
that  it  was  no  wonder  if  they  did  not  obey,  since  they  had 
been  so  roughly  treated.  "  But  there  is  no  ground  for 
them,"  the  Lord  says,  "  to  allege  that  I  have  used  severity  : 
for  I  could  not  have  dealt  more  kindly  with  them,  /  have 
drawn  them  with  human  cords ;  I  have  not  otherwise  governed 
them  than  as  a  father  his  own  children ;  I  have  been  bounti- 
ful towards  them.  I  indeed  wished  to  do  them  good,  and, 
as  it  was  right,  required  obedience  from  them.  I  have  at  the 
same  time  laid  on  them  a  yoke,  not  servile,  nor  such  as  is 


CHAP.  XI.  4.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  393 

wont  to  be  laid  on  brute  animals ;  but  I  was  content  with 
paternal  discipline."  Since  then  such  kindness  had  no  influ- 
ence over  them,  is  it  not  right  to  conclude  that  their  wicked- 
ness is  irreclaimable  and  extreme  ? 

He  then  adds,  /  have  been  to  them  like  those  who  raise  up  the 
yoke  upon  the  cheeks}  "  I  have  not  laden  you,"  he  says, 
"  with  too  heavy  burdens,  as  oxen  and  other  beasts  are  wont 
to  be  burdened;  but  I  have  raised  up  the  yoke  upon  the 
cheeks.  I  have  chosen  rather  to  bear  the  yoke  myself,  and 
to  ease  these  ungodly  and  wicked  men  of  their  burden." 
And  God  does  not  in  vain  allege  this,  for  Ave  know  that  when 
he  uses  his  power,  and  vindicates  his  authority,  he  does  this 
not  to  burden  the  people,  as  earthly  kings  are  wont  to  do ; 
but  he  bears  the  burden  which  he  lays  on  men.  It  is  no 
wonder  then  that  he  says  now,  that  he  had  lifted  the  yoke  upon 
the  cheeks  of  his  people,  like  one  who  wishes  not  to  burden  his 
ox,  but  bears  up  the  yoke  himself  with  his  own  hands,  lest 
the  ox  should  faint  through  weariness. 

He  afterwards  adds,  And  I  have  made  them  to  eat  in  quiet- 
ness, or,  "I  have  brought  meat  to  them."  Some  think  the 
verb  7''315<,  aukil,  to  be  in  the  future  tense,  and  that  7''^"l^{) 
aukil,  is  put  for  tDXX?  aakil;  that  is,  I  will  cause  them  to 
eat ;  and  that  the  future  is  to  be  resolved  into  the  past :  and 
it  is  certain  that  the  word  tOX?  ^th,  means  tranquil  some- 
times. Then  it  will  be,  "  I  have  caused  them  quietly  to  eat." 
But  another  exposition  is  more  commonly  received  ;  as  the 
word  t2i<j  ath,  is  derived  from  ntOJ?  nvithe,  to  raise.  It  is  the 
same  as  though  the  Prophet  had  said,  that  meat  had  been 
brought  to  them. 

God  then  does  here  in  various  ways  enhance  the  Ingrati- 
tude and  wickedness  of  the  people,  because  they  had  not  ac- 
knowledged his  paternal  kindness,  when  he  had  himself  so 
kindly  set  forth  his  favour  before  their  eyes  ;  /  have,  he  says, 
extended  meat  to  them ;  that  is,  "  I  have  not  thrown  it  on  the 
ground,  nor  placed  it  too  high  for  them  ;  they  have  not  toiled 
In  getting  it ;  but  I  have,  as  It  were,  brought  It  with  mine 
own  hand  and  set  it  before  them,  that  they  might  eat  with- 

1  "  It  is  very  probable  that  the  words  refer  to  the  custom  of  raising  the 
yoke  forward  to  cool  the  neck  of  the  labouring  beast." — Newcome. 


394  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXIX. 

out  any  trouble."  In  short,  God  declares  that  he  had  tried 
in  every  way  to  find  out,  whether  there  was  any  meekness 
or  docility  in  the  people  of  Israel,  and  that  he  had  ill  be- 
stowed all  his  blessings  ;  for  this  people  were  blind  to  favours 
so  kind,  to  such  as  clearly  proved,  that  God  had  in  every 
way  showed  himself  to  be  a  Father.     It  follows — 

5.  He  shall  not  return  into  the  5.   Non    revertetur    in    terram 

land  of  Egypt,   but  the  Assyrian  ^gypti ;  Assur  dominabitur  ipsis, 

shall  be  his  king,  because  they  re-  quia  uoluevuut  converti  (renueruut 

fused  to  retuni.  ad  convertendum.) 

Here  the  Prophet  denounces  a  new  punishment,  that  the 
people  in  vain  hoped  that  Egypt  would  be  a  place  of  refuge 
or  an  asylum  to  them ;  for  the  Lord  would  draw  them  away 
to  another  quarter.  For  the  Israehtes  had  cherished  this 
hope,  that  if  by  any  chance  the  Assyrians  should  be  too 
powerful  for  them,  there  would  yet  be  a  suitable  refuge  for 
them  in  Egypt  among  their  friends,  Avith  whom  they  had 
made  a  treaty.  Since,  then,  they  promised  themselves  a 
hospitable  exile  in  Egypt,  the  Prophet  here  exposes  their  vain 
confidence :  "  This  their  expectation,"  he  says,  "  that  they 
shall  find  a  way  open  to  Egypt,  shall  disappoint  the  people : 
it  is  shut  up,"  he  says,  They  shall  not  return  to  the  land  of 
Egypt,  hut  the  Assyrian  shall  be  their  king.  By  saying,  that 
the  Assyrian  shall  rule  over  them,  he  means  that  the  people 
would  become  exiles  under  the  Assyrians,  which  indeed  hap- 
pened. He  then  anticipates  here  all  the  vain  hopes  by  which 
the  people  deceived  themselves,  and  by  which  they  hardened 
themselves  against  all  the  threatenings  of  God.  "  There  is 
no  reason  for  them,"  he  says,  "  to  look  towards  Egypt ;  for 
the  Lord  will  not  allow  them  to  go  there ;  for  he  will  draw 
them  to  Assyria." 

He  afterwards  gives  the  reason,  Because  they  have  heen  un- 
willing, he  says,  to  return.  This  "  return  "  is  to  be  taken  in 
another  sense  :  but  there  is  here  a  striking  similarity  in  the 
words.  They  thought  that  there  would  be  to  them  a  free 
passage  into  Egypt ;  and  yet  they  had  been  unwilKng  to  pass 
over  unto  God,  when  he  had  so  often  called  them.  The  Pro- 
phet therefore  says,  that  a  return  into  Egypt  was  now  denied. 


CHAP.  XI.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  395 

them,  Inasmuch  as  they  had  been  unwilling  to  return  to  God. 
The  import  of  what  is  said  is,  that  when  men  perversely  re- 
sist God,  they  in  vain  hope  for  any  free  movements  either  to 
this  or  that  quarter ;  for  the  Lord  will  hold  them  tied  and 
bound.  As  it  is  wont  to  be  done  to  wild  beasts,  who,  when 
they  show  too  much  ferocity,  are  shut  up  in  cages  or  bound 
with  chains,  or  as  it  is  usually  done  to  frantic  men,  who  are 
bound  with  strong  bands  ;  so  also  the  Lord  does  with  obsti- 
nate men ;  he  binds  them  fast,  so  that  they  cannot  move  a 
finger.     This,  then,  is  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

There  is,  at  the  same  time,  to  be  understood,  an  implied 
comparison  between  the  former  bondage  they  endured  in 
Egypt,  and  the  new  bondage  Avhich  awaited  them.  They 
liad  known  of  what  sort  was  the  hospitality  of  Egypt,  and  yet 
so  great  a  blindness  possessed  their  minds,  that  they  wished 
to  return  there.  Their  fathers  had  been  kindly  enough  re- 
ceived ;  but  their  posterity  were  grievously  burdened ;  nay, 
they  were  not  far  from  being  entirely  destroyed.  What 
madness  was  this,  to  Avish  of  themselves  to  return  to  Egypt, 
when  they  knew  how  great  was  the  ferociousness  and  cruelty 
of  the  Egyptians  ?  But  as  I  have  said,  something  more 
grievous  awaited  them  ;  they  were  not  worthy  to  return  to 
Egypt.  To  return  there  Avould  have  been  indeed  a  dreadful 
calamity  ;  but  the  Lord  would  not,  however,  open  a  way  for 
them  to  go  there  ;  for  he  would  force  them  to  pass  to  another 
country ;  yea,  they  were  to  be  by  force  dragged  away  by 
their  conquerors  into  Assyria.  The  drift  of  the  whole  is,, 
that  though  the  people  had  been  cruelly  treated  in  Egypt, 
there  was  now  drawing  nigh  a  more  grievous  tyranny ;  for 
the  Assyrians  would  double  the  injuries,  and  the  violence, 
and  all  kinds  of  wrongs  and  reproaches,  which  had  been  ex- 
ercised against  this  people. 

Some  think  that  it  was  added  for  consolation,  that  God, 
though  greatly  provoked  by  the  people,  was  yet  unwilhng  to 
lead  them  again  into  Egypt,  lest  the  former  redemption 
should  be  made  void ;  but  that  a  middle  course  was  prepared, 
by  which  he  would  chastise  the  ungrateful,  and  yet  retain 
them  as  his  peculiar  possession.  But  I  have  already  shown 
what  I  mostly  approve.     At  the  same  time,  whichever  view 


39G  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  FROPHETS.        LECT.  XXX. 

is  taken,  we  see  how  grievous  and  severe  was  the  denuncia- 
tion of  the  Pi'ophet. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  deigned  to  choose  us  be- 
fore the  foundations  of  the  world  were  laid,  and  included  us  in 
thy  free  adoption  when  we  were  the  children  of  wrath  and  doomed 
to  litter  ruin,  and  afterwards  embraced  us  even  from  the  womb, 
and  hast  at  length  favoured  us  with  a  clearer  proof  of  thy  love, 
in  calling  us  by  thy  gospel  into  an  union  and  communion  with 
thy  only- begotten  Son, — O  gi'ant,  that  we  may  not  be  unmind- 
ful of  so  many  and  so  singular  benefits,  but  respond  to  thy  holy 
calling,  and  labour  to  devote  ourselves  wholl}'-  to  thee,  and  la- 
bour, not  for  one  da}^,  but  for  the  whole  time  designed  for  us 
here,  both  to  live  and  to  die  according  to  thy  good  pleasure,  so 
that  we  may  glorify  thee  to  the  end,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.     Amen. 


%ttUivt  Ei)ivtitti), 

6.  And  the  sword  shall  abide  on  6.  Et  cadet  gladius  in  urbes  ejus, 

his  cities,  and  shall  consume  his  etconsumet  vectes  ejus(a/// jw^wn/, 

bi'anches,  and  devour  them,  because  ramos,  vel,  membra)  etvorabit,prop- 

of  their  own  counsels.  ter  consilia  eorum. 

As  it  was  difficult  to  persuade  proud  people  that  the  over- 
throw was  at  hand,  which  Ilosea  had  foretold,  seeing,  as  they 
did,  that  they  were  furnished  with  many  defences,  it  is  there- 
fore now  added,  that  their  fortified  cities  would  not  prevent 
the  enemy  to  break  through,  and  to  devastate  the  whole 
country,  and  to  lead  away  the  people  captive.  We  now 
understand  how  this  verse  is  connected  with  the  last.  The 
Prophet  had  threatened  exile ;  but  as  the  Israelites  thought 
themselves  safe  in  their  nests,  he  adds,  that  there  was  no 
reason  for  them  to  trust  in  their  fortresses,  for  the  Lord 
could  by  the  sword  destroy  all  their  cities. 

He  therefore  says,  The  sword  shall  fall  on  their  cities.  The 
verb  7111?  cliul,  means  to  abide,  and  to  encamp,  and  some- 
times to  fall  or  rush  upon :  and  this  second  sense  is  more 
suitable  to  this  place.  Some,  however,  render  it,  The  sword 
shall  abide  on  the  cities,  until  it  consume  them.     But  as  to 


CHAP.  XI.  7.  C03IMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  397 

the  meaning,  there  is  not  much  difference.  I  will,  however, 
briefly  state  what  1  deem  the  right  view.  The  sioord  then 
shall  Jail,  or  rush,  upo7i  his  cities ;  and  further,  it  shall  consume 
his  bars.  Tlie  Hebrews  often  call  bars  or  bolts  D**"!^)  bedim, 
but  still  oftener,  branches,  or  members, — the  branches  of  a 
tree,  or  the  members  of  man.  Hence  some  take  the  word 
metaphorically,  as  meaning  towns  and  villages  ;  for  they  are, 
as  it  were,  the  branches  or  members  of  cities.  Others,  how- 
ever, explain  it  as  signifying  sons,  who  grow  from  their  parents 
as  branches  from  the  tree  :  but  this  seems  too  far-fetched. 
I  do  not  disapprove  of  the  opinion,  that  the  Prophet  refers 
here  to  towns  and  villages,  which  are,  as  it  were,  the  appen- 
dages of  cities,  as  branches  spread  out  here  and  there  from 
the  tree.  The  sense  then  is  not  amiss,  that  the  sword  will 
consume  and  devour  towns  and  villages,  when  it  shall  fall  on 
the  cities.  But  what  I  have  already  said  of  bolts  seems 
more  suitable  to  the  design  of  the  Prophet.  We  must  at  the 
same  time  consider  the  word  D'*15?  bedim,  as  including  a  part 
for  the  whole  ;  for  bolts  were  only  a  part  of  the  fortifications  ; 
but  the  gates,  being  closed  and  fastened,  render  the  cities 
strong.  So  this  place,  by  taking  a  part  for  the  whole,  may 
be  thus  expounded,  that  the  sword,  when  it  fell  on  cities, 
would  consume  and  destroy  whatever  strength  and  defence 
they  possessed. 

He  at  the  same  time  mentions  the  cause.  Because,  he  says, 
of  their  own  counsels.  No  doubt,  he  added  this  expression,  be- 
cause the  Israelites  thought  themselves  wise ;  for  ungodly 
men  arrogate  to  themselves  much  prudence ;  and  this  they 
do,  that  they  may,  as  it  were,  from  their  height  look  down  on 
God,  and  laugh  at  every  instruction.  Since  then  they  who 
despise  God  seem  to  themselves  to  be  very  wise,  and  to  be 
fortified  by  their  good  counsels,  the  Prophet  shows  that  the 
cause  of  ruin  to  the  Israelites  would  be,  that  they  were  swol- 
len with  this  diabolical  prudence,  and  would  not  condescend 
to  obey  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

7.  And  my  people  are  bent  7.  Et  popiilns  mens  suspensi  ad  avci'- 

tobackslidingfromme:  though  sionem  (aliivcrtunt^  convcrsioucm)  et  ad 

they  called  them  to  the  Most  excelsum    vocabunt    {id   est,     vocant) 

High,  none  at  all  would  exalt  simul  nou  cxtoUct   (id  est,   nemo  cx- 

him.  toUit.) 


398  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROrHETS.        LECT.  XXX. 

This  verse  is  variously  rendered.  Some  explain  the  word 
D'^J^ISHj  teluaim,  as  signifying  "perplexed;"  as  though  the 
Prophet  had  said,  that  the  people  would  suifer  a  just  punish- 
ment through  being  anxious  and  looking  around  them,  and 
yet  finding  no  comfort ;  for  this  would  be  the  reward  of  their 
defection  or  apostacy.  Hence  he  says,  My  people  are  in  sus- 
pense ;  that  is,  there  is  no  wonder  that  the  Israelites  are  now 
tormented  with  great  anxiety,  and  find  no  end  to  their  evils ; 
for  they  who  have  rebelled  against  the  Lord  are  worthy  of  being 
thus  bound  fast  by  him.  It  is  the  fruit  of  their  defection  that 
they  are  now  so  full  of  sorrow,  and  also  of  despair.  This  is  one 
exposition.  Others  say,  that  God  here  complains  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  people,  as  of  those  who  deliberated  whether  they 
ought  to  repent.  They  then  take  suspense  for  douht,  317/ people 
are  in  suspense ;  that  is,  they  debate  on  the  subject  as  on  a 
doubtful  matter,  when  I  exhort  them  to  repent,  and  they  can- 
not at  once  decide  what  to  do,  but  alternate  between  divers 
opinions,  and  now  incline  to  one  thing  and  then  to  another ; 
as  if  truly  the  subject  itself  made  it  necessary  for  them  to  de- 
liberate. Doubtless  what  is  right  is  in  no  way  hid  from 
them  :  but  as  they  are  unwilling,  they  seek  for  themselves,  by 
evasions,  some  excuses  for  doubting ;  for  the  Prophets  cry  to 
them,  and  no  one  extols  them.  This  is  the  second  expo- 
sition. 

It  must  at  the  same  time  be  observed,  that  the  word 
ni12J'/!Dj  ?neshulmt,  is  variously  taken  ;  for  the  first  render  it, 
"  turning  away,"  and  the  Jod  that  is  affixed  must  then  be 
expounded  passively,  and  must  mean  their  turning  away  from 
God,  because  the  Israelites  had  fallen  away  from  him ;  as  in 
Isaiah,  chap.  Ivi.,  he  calls  that  the  house  of  his  prayer  in 
which  the  people  were  wont  to  pray.  Then  the  turning  away 
from  God,  according  to  them,  is  to  be  taken  passively,  be- 
cause the  people  were  alienated  from  him.  Others  render  it, 
"conversion."  But  the  Hebrew  doctors  will  have  this  word 
to  be  ever  taken  in  a  bad  sense,  and  affirm  that  there  is  no 
place  where  it  signifies  any  thing  but  rebellion  or  apostacy. 
Since  it  is  so,  I  am  inclined  to  consider  it  to  be  turning 
away  ;  and  thus  the  second  sense,  that  the  people  deliberated 
whether  they  ought  to  hear  the  admonitions  of  the  Prophets, 
will  not  stand. 


CHAP.  XI.  7.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  399 

The  Prophet  also  seems  to  me  to  mean  what  is  different 
from  Avhat  I  have  referred  to  in  the  first  place,  as  the  opinion 
of  those  who  say,  My  jjeople  are  in  suspense ;  that  is,  they 
anxiously  torment  themselves  on  account  of  their  defection, 
because  I  punish  them  for  their  apostacy ;  through  which  it  has 
happened,  that,  forsaking  me,  they  have  wandered  after  their 
own  inventions.  But  I  take  the  passage  otherwise,  as  I  have 
already  said.  My  people  are  fastened ;  that  is,  my  people  have 
not  only  once  departed  from  me,  but  they  are,  as  it  were, 
fastened  in  their  defection.  He  says,  that  they  were  fastened, 
not  that  they  were  sorrowful  and  endured  great  tortures,  and 
found  their  affairs  perplexed ;  but  that  they  were  fastened, 
because  they  remained  obstinate  ;  as  when  one  says,  that  a 
man  is  fastened  to  a  thing,  when  he  cannot  be  moved.  This 
being  fastened,  is  indeed  nothing  else  but  the  obstinacy  of  the 
people.     They  were  then  fastened  to  defection. 

He  afterwards  adds.  To  him  on  high  they  call  them ;  none  at 
all  rises  up.  What  an  indefinite  sentence  signifies  we  stated 
yesterday.  The  Prophet  means  that  instruction  had  been  given 
the  people,  and  that  many  witnesses  or  preachers  had  been  sent 
by  the  Lord,  but  that  all  this  had  been  wholly  useless.  Hence 
he  says,  They  call  them  to  him  on  high,  no  one  raises  up  himself. 
Some  indeed  consider  the  word,  God,  to  be  understood ;  and 
this  is  the  commonly  received  opinion ;  but  in  my  judgment 
they  are  mistaken  ;  for  the  Prophet,  speaking  of  the  Israel- 
ites, doubtless  means  that  they  remained  in  the  same  state, 
and  were  not  moved  by  any  instruction  to  make  any  progress, 
or  to  show  any  sign  of  repentance.  Hence,  no  one  rises  up. 
He  uses  the  singular  number,  and  puts  down  the  particle 
•^n^j  ich^Ld,  as  though  he  said,  "  There  is  no  one,  from  the 
first  to  the  last,  who  is  touched  with  grief,  for  they  continue 
obstinate  in  their  wickedness."  And  when  he  says.  No  one 
raises  up  himself  he  seems  to  allude  to  the  word,  fastened. 
They  are  then  fastened  to  their  defection ;  and  when  the 
Prophets  cry  and  diligently  exhort  them  to  repent,  they  do 
not  rise  up ;  that  is,  they  do  not  aspire  to  God ;  and  this  in- 
deed they  neglect  with  one  consent,  as  if  they  all  alike 
blindly  united  in  one  and  the  same  wickedness. 

In  this  verse  then  the  Prophet  brings  again  to  view  the 


400  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXX. 

sins  of  the  people,  that  it  might  more  fully  appear  that  God 
threatened  them  so  dreadfully  not  without  a  cause  ;  for  they 
who  were  so  perversely  rebellious  against  God  were  worthy 
of  the  most  grievous  punishment.  This  is  the  sum  of  the 
whole.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

8.  How  shall  I  give  thee  up,  Eph-  8.  Quomodo  ponara  te  Eph- 
raiin?  i^o?/;  shall  I  deliver  thee,  Is-  ralra?  tradam  te  Israel?  Quo- 
rael  ?  How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Ad-  mode  ponam  te  sicut  Sodoraam  ? 
mah  ?  Hoiv  shall  I  set  thee  as  Ze-  Statuam  te  sicut  Zeboim  ?  Inver- 
boini  ?  Mine  heart  is  turned  within  sum  est  in  me  cor  meum,  simul 
me,  my  repentings  are  kindled  to-  revoluta^  sunt  {alii^  incaluerunt; 
gether,  nam    -|J23  illud  significat^  simul 

ergo  revolut*  sunt)  poenitudiues 
meaj. 

9.  I  Avill  not  execute  the  fierceness  9.  Non  faciam  (id  est,  non  exe- 
of  mine  anger,  I  will  not  return  to  de-  quar)  furorem  iraj  mefc,  non  re- 
stroy  Ephraim  :  for  I  am  God,  and  not  vertar  ad  perdendum  Ephraim  : 
man ;  the  Holy  One  in  the  midst  of  quia  Deus  ego,  et  non  homo,  in 
thee :  and  I  will  not  enter  into  the  medio  tul  sanctus ;  et  non  ingre- 
city.  diar  m-bem. 

Here  God  consults  what  he  would  do  with  the  people : 
and  first,  indeed,  he  shows  thaf  it  Avas  his  pm^pose  to  execute 
vengeance,  such  as  the  Israelites  deserved,  even  wholly  to 
destroy  them  :  but  yet  he  assumes  the  character  of  one  de- 
liberating, that  none  might  think  that  he  hastily  fell  into 
anger,  or  that,  being  soon  excited  by  excessive  fury,  he  de- 
voted to  ruin  those  who  had  lightly  sinned,  or  w^ere  guilty  of 
no  great  crimes.  That  no  one  then  might  assign  to  God  an 
anger  too  fervid,  he  says  here,  Hoio  shall  I  set  thee  aside, 
Ephraim  ?  How  shall  I  deliver  thee  up,  Israel  ?  Hoio  shall  I 
set  thee  as  Sodom  ?  By  these  expressions  God  shows  what  the 
Israelites  deserved,  and  that  he  was  now  inclined  to  inflict  the 
punishment  of  which  they  were  worthy,  and  yet  not  without 
repentance,  or  at  least  not  without  hesitation.  He  afterwards 
adds  in  the  next  clause.  This  I icill  not  do;  my  heart  is  toithin 
me  changed ;  I  now  alter  my  purpose,  a7id  my  repentings  are 
brought  back  again ;  that  is,  it  was  in  my  mind  to  destroy  you 
all,  but  now  a  repenting,  which  reverses  that  design,  lays 
hold  on  me.     We  now  apprehend  what  the  Prophet  means. 

As  to  this  mode  of  speaking,  it  appears  indeed  at  the  first 
irlance  to  be  strange  that  God  should  make  himself  like  raor- 
tals  in  changing  his  purposes,  and  in  exhibiting  himself  as 


CHAP.  XI.  8,  9.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  401 

wavering.  God,  we  know,  is  subject  to  no  passions  ;  and  we 
know  that  no  change  takes  place  in  him.  What  then  do  these 
expressions  mean,  by  which  he  appears  to  be  changeable  ? 
Doubtless  he  accommodates  himself  to  our  ignorance,  when- 
ever he  puts  on  a  character  foreign  to  himself.  And  this  con- 
sideration exposes  the  folly  as  well  as  the  impiety  of  those 
who  bring  forward  single  Avords  to  show  that  God  is,  as  it 
were,  like  mortals ;  as  those  unreasonable  men  do  who  at  this 
(lay  seek  to  overturn  the  eternal  providence  of  God,  and  to 
blot  out  that  election  by  which  he  makes  a  difference  between 
men.  "  O  !"  they  say,  "  God  is  sincere,  and  he  has  said  that 
he  willeth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that  he  should 
be  converted  and  live."  God  must  then  in  this  case  remain 
as  it  were  uncertain,  and  depend  on  the  free-will  of  every 
one  :  it  is  hence  in  the  power  of  man  either  to  procure  destruc- 
tion to  himself,  or  to  come  to  salvation.  God  must  in  the 
meantime  wait  quietly  as  to  what  men  will  do,  and  can  deter- 
mine nothing  except  through  their  free-will.  While  these 
insane  men  thus  trifle,  they  think  themselves  to  be  supported 
by  this  invincible  reason,  that  God's  will  is  one  and  simple. 
But  if  the  will  of  God  be  one,  it  does  not  hence  follow  that 
he  does  not  accommodate  himself  to  men,  and  put  on  a  char- 
acter foreign  to  himself,  as  much  as  a  regard  for  our  salvation 
will  bear  or  require.  So  it  is  in  this  place.  God  does  not  in 
vain  introduce  himself  as  being  uncertain;  for  we  hence  learn 
that  he  is  not  carried  away  too  suddenly  to  inflict  punishment, 
even  when  men  in  various  ways  provoke  his  vengeance.  This 
then  is  what  God  shows  by  this  mode  of  speaking.  At  the 
same  time,  we  know  that  what  he  will  do  is  certain,  and  that 
his  decree  depends  not  on  the  free-will  of  men ;  for  he  is  not 
ignorant  of  what  we  shall  do.  God  then  does  not  deliberate 
as  to  himself,  but  with  reference  to  men.  This  is  one  thing. 
But  we  must  also  bear  in  mind  what  I  have  already  said, 
that  the  Prophet  here  strikes  with  terror  proud  and  profane 
despisers  by  setting  before  their  eyes  their  own  destruction, 
and  by  showing  how  little  short  they  were  of  the  lot  of 
Gomorrah  and  other  cities.  "  For  what  remains,"  the  Lord 
says,  "  but  that  I  should  set  you  as  Sodom  and  Zeboim  ?  This 
condition  and  this  recompense  awaits  you,  if  I  execute  the 
VOL.  I.  2  c 


402  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXX. 

judgment  which  has  been  already  as  it  were  decreed."  Not 
that  God  would  immediately  do  this ;  but  he  only  reminds 
the  Israelites  of  what  they  deserved,  and  of  what  would 
happen  to  them,  except  the  Lord  dealt  mercifully  with  them. 
Thus  much  of  the  fii-st  part  of  the  verse. 

But  when  he  says  that  his  lieart  icas  changed,  and  that  his 
repentings  were  brought  hack  again,  the  same  mode  of  speaking 
after  the  manner  of  men  is  adopted ;  for  Ave  know  that  these 
feelings  belono;  not  to  God :  he  cannot  be  touched  with 
repentance,  and  his  heart  cannot  undergo  changes.  To 
imagine  such  a  thing  would  be  impiety.  But  the  design  is  to 
show,  that  it  he  dealt  with  the  people  of  Israel  as  they 
deserved,  they  would  now  be  made  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
But  as  God  was  merciful,  and  embraced  his  people  with  pater- 
nal affection,  he  could  not  forget  that  he  was  a  Father,  but 
would  be  willing  to  grant  pardon ;  as  is  the  case  with  a  father, 
who,  on  seeing  his  son's  wicked  disposition,  suddenly  feels  a 
strong  displeasure,  and  then,  being  seized  with  relentings,  is 
inclined  to  spare  him.  God  then  declares  that  he  would  thus 
deal  with  his  people. 

Then  follows  an  explanation  of  this  sentence,  /  uill  not  exe- 
cute the  fury  of  my  wrath :  by  which  figurative  mode  of  speak- 
ing he  sets  forth  the  punishment  which  was  suitable  to  the 
sins  of  men.  For  it  must  ever  be  remembered,  that  God  is 
exempt  from  every  passion.  But  if  no  anger  is  to  be  supposed 
by  us  to  be  in  God,  what  does  he  mean  by  the  fury  of  his 
wrath  ?  Even  the  relation  between  his  nature  and  our  innate 
or  natural  sins.  But  why  does  Scripture  say  that  God  is 
angry  ?  Even  because  we  imagine  him  to  be  so  according  to 
the  perception  of  the  flesh ;  for  we  do  not  apprehend  God's 
indignation,  except  as  far  as  our  sins  provoke  him  to  anger, 
and  kindle  his  vengeance  against  us.  Then  God,  Avith  regard 
to  our  perception,  calls  the  fury  of  his  wrath  the  heavy  judg- 
ment, which  is  equal  to,  or  meet  for,  our  sins.  /  will  not  exe- 
cute, he  says,  that  is,  "  I  will  not  repay  the  reward  which  you 
have  deserved." 

What  then  ?  /  ivill  not  return  to  destroy  Ephraim.  The 
verb  !11^5<,  ashuh,  seems  to  have  been  introduced  for  this 
reason,  because  God  had  in  part  laid  Avaste  the  kingdom  of 


CHAP.  XI.  8,  9.      COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  403 

Israel :  he  therefore  says,  that  the  second  overthrow,  which 
he  would  presently  bring,  would  not  be  such  as  would  destroy 
the  whole  of  Israel,  or  wholly  consume  them.  /  loill  not  then 
return  to  destroy  Ephraim ;  that  is,  "  Though  I  shall  again 
gird  myself  to  punish  the  sins  of  the  people,  I  shall  yet 
restrain  myself,  so  that  my  vengeance  shall  not  proceed  to  the 
destruction  of  the  whole  people."  The  reason  is  subjoined, 
For  I  am  God,  and  not  man. 

As  he  intended  in  this  place  to  leave  to  the  godly  some 
hope  of  salvation,  he  adds  what  may  confirm  this  hope ;  for 
Ave  know  that  when  God  denounces  wrath,  with  what  diffi- 
culty trembling  consciences  are  restored  to  hope.  Ungodly 
men  laugh  to  scorn  all  threatenings  ;  but  those  in  whom  there 
is  any  seed  of  piety  dread  the  vengeance  of  God,  and  when- 
ever terror  seizes  them,  they  are  tormented  with  marvellous 
disquietude,  and  cannot  be  easily  pacified.  This  then  is  the 
reason  why  the  Prophet  now  confirms  the  doctrine  which  he 
had  laid  down  :  /  am  God,  he  says,  and  not  man ;  as  though 
he  had  said,  that  he  would  be  propitious  to  his  people,  for  he 
was  not  implacable  as  men  are ;  and  they  are  very  wrong 
who  judge  of  him,  or  measure  him,  by  men. 

We  must  here  first  remember,  that  the  Prophet  directs 
not  his  discourse  promiscuously  to  all  the  Israelites,  but  only 
to  the  faithful,  who  were  a  remnant  among  that  corrupt  peo- 
ple.    For  God,  at  no  time,  suffered  all  the  children  of  Abra- 
liam  to  become  alienated,  but  some  few  at  least  remained,  as 
it  is  said  in  another  place,  (1  Kings  xix.  18.)     These  the 
Prophet  now  addresses ;   and  to  administer  consolation,  he 
moderates  what  he  had  said  before  of  the  dreadful  vengeance 
of  God.     This  saying  then  was  not  to  reheve  the  sorrow  of 
hypocrites  ;  for  the  Prophet  regarded  only  the  miserable, 
who  had  been  so  smitten  with  the  feeling  of  God's  wrath, 
that  despair  would  have  almost  swallowed  them  up,  had  not 
their  grief  been  mitigated.     This  is  one  thing.     But  further, 
when  he  says  that  he  is  God,  and  not  man,  this  truth  ought  to 
come  to  our  minds,  that  we  may  taste  of  God's  gratuitous 
promises,  whenever  we  vacillate  as  to  his  promises,  or  when- 
ever terror   possesses  our  minds.      What !    Do   you  doubt 
when  you  have  to  do  with  God  ?     But  whence  is  it,  that  we 


404  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  TKOPHETS.        LECT.  XXX. 

with  so  much  difficulty  rely  on  the  promises  of  God,  except 
that  we  imagine  him  to  be  like  ourselves?  Inasmuch,  then, 
as  it  is  our  habit  thus  to  transform  him,  let  this  truth  be  a 
remedy  to  this  fault ;  and  whenever  God  promises  pardon  to 
us,  from  which  proceeds  the  hope  of  salvation,  how  much 
soever  he  may  have  previously  terrified  us  by  his  judgments,  let 
this  come  to  our  mind,  that  as  he  is  God,  he  is  not  to  be  judged 
of  by  what  we  are.  We  ought  then  to  recurnb  simply  on  his 
promises.  "  But  then  we  are  unworthy  to  be  pardoned  ;  be- 
sides, so  great  is  the  atrocity  of  our  sins,  that  there  can  be 
no  hope  of  reconciliation."  Here  we  must  take  instant  hold 
on  this  shield,  we  must  learn  to  fortify  ourselves  with  this 
declaration  of  the  Prophet,  He  is  God,  and  not  man  :  let  this 
shield  be  ever  taken  to  repel  every  kind  of  diffidence. 

But  here  a  question  may  be  raised,  "  Was  He  not  God, 
when  he  destroyed  Sodom  and  the  neighbouring  cities  ?" 
That  judgment  did  not  take  away  from  the  Lord  his  glory, 
nor  was  his  majesty  thereby  diminished.  But  these  two 
sentences  are  to  be  read  together,  1  am  God^  and  not  man, 
holy  in  the  midst  of  thee.  When  any  one  reads  these  sentences 
apart,  he  does  wrong  to  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  God, 
then,  does  not  only  affirm  here  that  he  is  not  like  men,  but  he 
also  adds,  that  he  is  holy  in  the  midst  of  Israel.  It  is  one 
view  of  God's  nature  that  is  here  given  us,  and  what  is  set 
forth  is  the  immense  distance  between  him  and  men,  as  we 
find  it  written  by  Isaiah  the  Prophet,  '  My  thoughts  are  not 
as  yours :  as  much  as  the  heaven  is  distant  from  the  earth,  so 
distant  are  my  thoughts  from  your  thoughts,'  (Isa.  Iv.  8.)  So 
also  in  this  place,  the  Prophet  shows  what  God  is,  and  how 
much  his  nature  differs  from  the  dispositions  of  men.  He 
afterwards  refers  to  the  covenant  which  God  made  Avith  his 
people  :  and  what  was  the  purport  of  that  covenant  ?  Even 
that  God  would  punish  his  people ;  yet  so  as  ever  to  leave 
some  seed  remaining.  '  I  will  chastise  them,'  he  says,  '  with 
the  rod  of  men;  I  will  not  yet  take  away  from  them  my 
mercy,'  (2  Sam.  vii.  14.)  Since  God  then  had  promised 
some  mitigation  or  some  alleviation  in  all  his  punishments,  he 
now  reminds  us,  that  he  will  not  have  his  Church  wholly  de- 
molished in  the  world,  for  he  would  thus  be  inconsistent  with 


CUAP.  XI.  8,  9.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  405 

himself:  hence  he  says,  "  I  am  God,  and  not  man,  holy  in  the 
midst  of  thee ;  and  since  I  have  chosen  thee  to  myself,  to  be 
my  peculiar  possession  and  inheritance,  and  promised  also  to 
be  for  ever  thy  God,  I  will  now  moderate  my  vengeance,  so 
that  some  Church  may  ever  remain." 

For  this  reason  he  also  says,  1  will  not  enter  into  the  city. 
Some  say,  "I  will  not  enter  another  city  but  Jerusalem." 
But  this  does  not  suit  the  passage ;  for  the  Prophet  speaks 
here  of  the  ten  tribes,  and  not  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.     Others 
imagine  an  opposite  meaning,  ''  I  will  not  enter  the  city,"  as 
though  he  said,  that  he  would  indeed  act  kindly  towards  the 
people  in  not  Avholly  destroying  them ;  but  that  they  should 
hereafter  be  without  civil  order,  regular  government,  and 
other  tokens   of  God's  favour :  ''  I  will  not  enter  the  city ;' 
that  is,  "  I  Avill  not  restore  you,  so  that  there  may  be  a  city 
and  a  kingdom,  and  an  united  body  of  people."    But  this  ex- 
position is  too  forced ;  nay,  it  is  a  mere  refinement,  which  of 
itself  vanishes."     There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  similitude  is 
taken  from  a  warlike  practice.     For  when  a  conqueror  enters 
a  city  Avith  an  armed  force,  slaughter  is  not  restrained,  but 
blood  is  indiscriminately  shed.     But  Avhen  a  city  surrenders, 
the  conqueror  indeed  may  enter,  yet  not  Avith  a  sudden  and 
violent  attack,  but  on  certain  conditions ;  and  then  he  waits, 
it  may  be  for  two  days,  or  for  some  time,  that  the  rage  of  his 
soldiers  may  be  allayed.     Then  he  comes,  not  as  to  enemies, 
but  as  to  his  own  subjects.     This  is  what  the  Prophet  means 
Avhen  he  says,  'lAvill  not  enter  the  city;'  that  is,  "I  will- 
make  Avar  on  you  and  subdue  you,  and  force  you  to  surren- 
der, and  that  Avith  great  loss  ;  but  when  the  gates  shall  be 

^  There  is  another  exposition,  which  Calvin  probably  did  not  thinlc  it 
Avorth  bis  Avhile  to  mention.  It  is  an  old  one  of  Jerome,  revived  by  Cas- 
tallio,  adopted  by  Lowth  and  NeAvcome,  and  highly  praised  by  Horsley  : 
and  yet  it  seems  to  have  neither  point  nor  meaning,  and  certainly  com- 
ports not  Avith  this  place.     The  proposed  rendering  is  this — 

"  Although  I  am  no  frequenter  of  cities." 

God  not  a  fi-equenter  of  cities  ! !  How  odd  and  meaningless  is  tliis 
Avhen  compared  Avith  the  view  given  by  Calvin  of  the  passage  ? 

There  is  another  explanation  approved  of  by  Dathe,  Avhich,  as  to 
the  meaning,  agrees  Avith  that  of  Calvin.  He  takes  Tiy,  rendered  "  city," 
to  mean  "  anger,"  and  then  the  version  would  be,  "  I  will  not  come  in 
anger."    The  Septuagint  is,  literally,  "  I  Avill  not  come  into  the  city  " 


406  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXX. 

opened,  and  the  Avail  demolished,  I  will  then  restrain  myself, 
for  I  am  unwilling  wholly  to  destroy  you." 

If  one  objects  and  says,  that  this  statement  militates  against 
many  others  which  we  have  observed,  the  answer  is  easy, 
and  the  solution  has  already  been  adduced  in  another  place, 
and  I  shall  now  only  touch  on  it  briefly.  When  God  dis- 
tinctly denounces  ruin  on  the  people,  the  body  of  the  people 
is  had  in  view ;  and  in  this  body  there  was  then  no  integrity. 
Inasmuch,  then,  as  all  the  Israelites  had  become  corrupt,  had 
departed  from  the  worship  and  fear  of  God,  and  from  all 
piety  and  righteousness,  and  had  abandoned  themselves  to  all 
kinds  of  Avickedness,  the  Prophet  declares  that  they  were  to 
perish  without  any  exception.  But  when  he  confines  the 
vengeance  of  God,  or  moderates  it,  he  has  respect  to  a  very 
small  number ;  for,  as  it  has  been  already  stated,  corruption 
had  never  so  prevailed  among  the  people,  but  that  some  seed 
remained.  Hence,  when  the  Prophet  has  in  view  the  elect 
of  God,  he  applies  then  these  consolations,  by  which  he  miti- 
gates their  terror,  that  they  might  understand  that  God,  even 
in  his  extreme  rigour,  would  be  propitious  to  them.  Such 
is  the  way  to  account  for  this  passage.  With  regard  to  the 
body  of  the  people,  the  Prophet  has  already  shown,  that  their 
cities  were  devoted  to  the  fire,  and  that  the  whole  nation  was 
doomed  to  suflfer  the  wrath  of  God  ;  that  every  thing  was 
given  up  to  the  fire  and  the  sword.  But  now  he  says,  'I 
will  not  enter ;'  that  is,  with  regard  to  those  whom  the  Lord 
intended  to  spare.  And  it  must  also  be  observed,  that 
punishment  Avas  mitigated,  not  only  with  regard  to  the  elect, 
but  also  Avith  regard  to  the  reprobate,  who  Avere  led  into  cap- 
tivity. We  must  yet  remember,  that  when  God  spared  them 
for  a  time,  he  chiefly  consulted  the  good  of  his  elect ;  for  the 
temporary  suspension  of  vengeance  increased  his  judgment 
on  the  reprobate ;  for  whosoever  repented  not  in  exile 
doubled,  as  it  is  evident,  the  wrath  of  God  against  themselves. 
The  Lord,  however,  spared  his  people  for  a  time ;  for  among 
them  was  included  his  Church,  in  the  same  way  as  the  Avheat 
is  preserved  in  the  chaff",  and  is  carried  from  the  field  with 
the  straAV.  Why  so?  Even  that  the  wheat  may  be  sepa- 
rated.    So  also  the  Lord  preserves  nuich   chaff"  Avith  the 


CHAP.  XI.  lOj  11.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  407 

wheat ;  but  he  will  afterwards,  in  due  time,  divide  the  wheat 
from  the  chaff.  AVe  now  understand  the  whole  meaning  of 
the  Prophet,  and  also  the  application  of  his  doctrine.  It 
follows — 

10.  They  shall  walk  after  the  10.  Post  Jehovam  ambulabtint,  et 
Lord  :  he  shall  roar  like  a  lion  :  quasi  leo  ruget :  quum  ipse  ruget,  tunc 
when  he  shall  roar,  then  the  chil-  pavebunt  fill!  a  marl  {cel^  occidente  ; 
dren  shall  tremble  from  the  mare  enim  vocatur  occidentalis  regio^ 
Avest.  respectu  ipsius  Judece.) 

11.  They  shall  tremble  as  a  11.  Pavebunt  quasi  passer  (ve/,  avis  ; 
bu'd  out  of  Egypt,  and  as  a  dove  tarn  species  est  quam  genus')  ab  iEgypto  ; 
out  of  the  land  of  Assyria :  and  et  quasi  columba  a  terra  Assur  {hoc  esf, 
I  will  place  them  in  their  houses,  ab  Assj^riis)  et  habitare  eos  faciam  in 
saith  the  Lord.  dominibus  suis,  dicit  Jehova. 

When  the  Prophet  says,  that  fheT/  shall  walk  after  Jehovah, 
he  proceeds  farther  than  before  ;  for  here  he  refers  not  to  the 
mitigation  of  punishment,  but  promises  restoration.  He  had 
said  before,  that  though  the  Lord  would  deal  severely  with 
his  people,  there  would  yet  be  some  moderation  in  his  wrath, 
so  that  he  would  not  destroy  the  whole  people.  Now,  it 
follows,  that  God,  after  having  thus  restrained  himself,  will 
extend  his  favour  even  to  the  restoration  of  the  people,  and 
brings  to  life  those  who  seemed  to  have  been  dead.  We  now 
then  perceive  what  the  Prophet  means. 

But  to  expound  this,  — thei/  shall  ivalk  after  Jehovah,  of  the 
obedience  of  the  people,  as  it  is  done  by  interpreters,  does  not 
seem  right  to  me.  It  is  indeed  certain  that  no  people  can  be 
restored  except  they  repent ;  yea,  it  is  the  main  beginning  o£ 
God's  favour,  when  he  chastises  men  and  heals  them  of  their 
wickedness.  But  here  the  Prophet  handles  another  thing, 
even  that  the  Lord  will  show  himself  a  leader  to  his  people, 
who  had  been  for  a  time  dispersed.  As  long  as  the  people 
were  scattered  in  Assyria,  and  in  other  distant  lands,  they 
were  without  any  head,  as  a  mutilated  body.  But  when  the 
ripened  time  of  restoration  came,  the  Lord  resolved  to  deliver 
them,  and  proclaimed  himself  the  leader  of  his  people  ;  and 
in  this  manner  the  people  were  gathered  to  God.  This  is 
what  the  Prophet  now  means,  when  he  says,  after  Jehovah : 
that  is,  for  a  time,  indeed,  God  will  forsake  them,  that  they 
may  languish  in  their  dispersion  ;  but  at  length  he  will  gather 


408  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXI. 

them,  and  show  hhnself  as  their  leader  in  their  journey,  that 
he  may  restore  them  to  their  country.  They  shall  then,  he 
says,  follow  Jehovah,  and  he  shall  roar  as  a  lion  :  when  he  shall 
roar,  then  children  from  the  sea  shall  tremble ;  that  is,  God 
will  be  formidable  to  enemies,  so  that  none  Avill  hinder  the 
return  of  his  people.  Many,  indeed,  will  be  the  enemies, 
many  will  labour  to  set  up  opposition :  but  the  people  shall 
nevertheless  come  forth  free.  How  so  ?  For  the  Lord  will 
fill  all  with  dread,  and  restrain  all  the  efforts  of  their  enemies ; 
so  that  they  shall  be  constrained  to  withdraAv  from  the  As- 
syrians, as  well  as  from  the  Egyptians.  Though,  on  one 
side,  the  Egyptians  may  resist,  and,  on  the  other,  the  Assy- 
rians, they  shall  not  yet  impede  the  return  of  the  people. 
Why  ?  Because  the  Lord  will  put  them  to  flight,  and  he 
will  be  to  them  as  a  lion,  and  fill  them  all  with  terror.  But 
the  rest  we  shall  defer. 

PRAYEK. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  we  are  too  secure  and  toi-pid  iu 
our  sins,  thy  di'ead  majesty  may  come  to  our  minds,  to  humble 
us,  and  to  remove  our  fear,  that  we  may  learn  anxiously  to 
seek  reconciliation  through  Christ,  and  so  abhor  ourselves  for 
our  sins,  that  thou  mayest  then  be  prepared  to  receive  us  :  and 
that  unbelief  may  not  shut  the  door  against  us,  enable  us  to  re- 
gard thee  to  be  such  as  thou  hast  revealed  thyself,  and  to  ac- 
knowledge that  thou  art  not  like  us,  but  the  fountain  of  all 
mercy,  that  we  may  thus  be  led  to  entertain  a  firm  hope  of  sal- 
vation, and  that,  relying  on  the  Mediator,  thy  only-begotten 
Son,  we  may  know  him  as  the  throne  of  grace,  full  of  compas- 
sion and  mercy.  O  grant,  that  we  may  thus  come  to  thee,  that 
through  him  we  may  certainly  know  that  thou  art  our  Father, 
so  that  the  covenant  thou  hast  made  with  us  may  never  fall 
tlirough  our  fault,  even  this,  that  we  are  thy  people,  because 
thou  hast  once  adopted  us  in  thy  only-begotten  Son,  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 


In  the  last  lecture,  we  began  to  explain  what  the  Prophet 
means  by  saying,  that  the  Israelites  shall  come  after  the  Lord: 
that  is,  that  when  the  time  of  the  exile  shall  be  completed, 


CHAP.  XI.  12.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  409 

God  will  be  the  leader  of  his  people  in  their  journey,  that 
they  might  return  safe  to  their  country.  And  for  this  reason, 
lie  also  subjoins,  that  the  Egyptians  as  well  as  the  Assyrians 
Avould  be  timid  ;  and  hence  he  compares  them  to  doves  and 
spa7T0ws,  or  birds ;  for  Avheu  the  nations  should  attempt  to 
hinder  the  return  of  the  people,  and  strive  against  them  Avith 
great  forces  and  great  efibrts,  God  w^ould  break  down  their 
courage.  For  as  God  had  determined  to  redeem  his  people, 
his  decree  could  not  have  been  nullified,  no,  not  by  the  whole 
world.  Whatever,  then,  the  Assyrians,  and  also  the  Egyp- 
tians, might  attempt  to  do,  though  powerful  in  forces,  it 
would  yet  avail  nothing ;  nay,  God  Avould  strike  into  both 
such  fear  and  dread,  that  they  should  not  make  any  stir  Avhen 
the  Lord  restored  his  people.  There  is  a  similar  mode  of 
speaking  in  Joel,  chap,  iii.,  except  that  he  does  not  introduce 
the  similitude,  that  they  would  be  like  birds  and  doves.  But 
he  speaks  of  the  roaring  of  God,  as  though  he  said,  that  the 
power  of  God  would  be  terrible  and  invincible,  so  that  he 
would  defend  and  protect  his  people,  and  no  one  would  dare 
to  rise  up  against  him  ;  and  that  if  one  should  dare,  he  would 
be  constrained  instantly  to  succumb.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

12.  Ephraim  corapasseth   me  12.  Circumdedit  me  mendacio  Eph- 

about  with  lies,  and  the  house  raim,  et  fraude  domus  Israel :  Judah 

of  Israel  with  deceit :  but  Judah  autem  adhuc  dominatur  (vel,  priuci- 

yet  ruleth  with  God,  and  is  faith-  patum  tenet)  cum  Deo,  et  cum  Sanctis 

ful  with  the  saints.  tidelis  est. 

I  shall  not  stay  now  to  recite  the  opinions  of  others  ;  nor 
does  it  seem  necessary.  I  might  have  indeed  referred  in  the 
last  verse  to  what  some  say  respecting  the  roaring  of  God, — 
that  his  voice  will  roar  through  the  Gospel :  but  as  this 
and  the  like  are  refinements  of  Avhich  I  think  the  Prophet 
never  thought,  it  is  enough  to  understand  the  simple  meaning 
of  the  Prophet,  and  not  to  accumulate  the  sentiments  of 
others.  I  indeed  know  that  this  makes  a  great  display,  and 
there  are  some  who  are  delighted  with  a  mass  of  opiniuns  j 
but  I  regard  what  is  more  useful. 

I  come  now  to  the  last  verse,  in  which  the  Lord  complains, 
that  he  had  been  compassed  with  the  falsehood  and  fraud  of  the 
people.     By  these  words  he  means  that  he  had  in  every  thing 


410  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXXT. 

found  the  multiplied  perfidy  of  the  Israelites  ;  for  this  Is  the 
import  of  the  word,  compassed.  We  now  then  perceive  that 
the  Prophet  means  that  the  Israelites,  not  only  in  one  way, 
or  in  one  thing,  acted  unfaithfully  toAvards  God,  and  used 
frauds  :  but  that  it  was  the  same,  as  when  one  besieges  an 
enemy  with  a  great  army  ;  so  that  they  were  thus  full  of 
innumerable  frauds,  with  which  on  every  side  they  surrounded 
God.  And  this  is  what  hypocrites  are  wont  to  do  ;  for  not 
only  in  one  thing  do  they  endeavour  to  deceive  God,  but  they 
transform  themselves  in  various  ways,  and  ever  seek  some 
new  subterfuges.  When  they  are  caught  in  one  sin,  they  pass 
into  another ;  so  that  there  is  no  end  to  their  deceit.  This 
subject  the  Prophet  now  takes  up,  that  is,  that  the  Israelites 
never  ceased  to  act  deceitfully  towards  God. 

And  he  speaks  of  frauds  and  falsehood ;  for  they  thought 
that  they  escaped,  provided  they  covered  themselves  with 
some  disguise,  whenever  the  Prophets  reproved  them.  But 
God  here  testifies,  that  they  gained  nothing  by  their  crafti- 
ness, as  though  he  said,  "Ye  think  indeed  that  your  coverings 
will  avail  with  me,  but  they  are  vain.  I  indeed  see  myself 
as  it  were  encompassed  by  your  falsehoods,  for  on  every  side 
ye  attempt  to  cover  your  sins ;  but  they  are  false  coverings." 
In  short,  the  Prophet  reprobates  those  specious  excuses,  by 
which  people  think  that  they  are  absolved  before  God,  so  as 
to  elude  through  this  confidence  all  the  threatenings  and 
reproofs  of  the  Prophets.  "  I  see,"  the  Lord  says,  "  what  the 
Israelites  bring  forward  for  themselves;  but  they  are  only 
fidsehoods  and  frauds."  This  passage  then  teaches,  that  men 
in  vain  make  excuses  before  God ;  for  when  they  contrive 
pretences  to  deceive  God,  they  are  themselves  greatly  de- 
ceived; for  he  clearly  perceives  their  guiles  and  falsehoods. 

He  afterwards  subjoins,  that  Judah  still  ruled,  or,  held  sove- 
reignty, with  God,  and  was  faithful  unth  the  saints.  By  saying 
that  he  held  sovereignty  with  God,  he  declares,  I  doubt  not, 
that  the  kingdom  of  Judah  was  legitimate,  because  it  was 
connected  with  a  pure  and  lav/ful  priesthood.  For  whence 
did  arise  the  corruptions  in  the  other  kingdom,  but  because 
the  people  had  revolted  from  the  family  of  David  ?  Hence 
it  was  that  the  new  king  changed  both  the  law  and  the  wor- 


CHAP.  XI.  12.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  411 

ship  of  God,  and  erected  new  temples.  Israel  then  did  not 
rule  with  God,  for  the  kingdom  was  spurious,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  dispersion,  so  that  the  people  forsook  God.  But 
of  Judah  the  Prophet  speaks  much  otherwise,  that  he  still 
ruled  with  God,  because  the  posterity  of  David,  though  we 
know  that  they  laboured  under  many  vices,  had  not  yet 
changed  the  worship  prescribed  by  the  law,  except  that  Ahaz 
had  erected  an  altar  like  one  at  Damascus,  as  the  sacred  his- 
tory relates,  (2  Kings  xvi.  12 ;)  but  yet  pure  religion  always 
prevailed  at  Jerusalem.  But  the  Prophet  speaks  compara- 
tively, as  it  will  be  presently  seen  :  for  he  does  not  wholly 
excuse  the  Jews,  but  says  that  in  comparison  with  Israel  they 
yet  ruled  with  God  ;  for  the  kingdom  and  the  priesthood,  as 
we  have  said,  were  joined  together  in  Judah,  and  both  had 
been  divinely  instituted. 

He  says  further,  that  he  was  faithful  loith  the  saints.  By 
saints  some  understand  God.  The  word  D''SJ^'npj  kodushimy 
we  know,  is  plural,  and  sometimes  an  epithet  of  the  singular 
number  is  joined  to  it,  though  not  often.  In  the  last  chapter 
of  Joshua  we  have  these  words,  }<J")n  D''2J''np)  kodushim  eva, 
holy  is  he.  But  as  I  have  said,  these  examples  are  rare.  And 
here  I  know  not  whether  or  not  the  Prophet  means  God.  I 
would  rather  refer  this  word  to  the  holy  fathers  or  to  the  whole 
Church ;  so  that  the  Prophet  calls  here  C^J^'lIp,  kodushim^ 
saints,  Abraham  and  others  who  justly  deserved  to  be  counted 
among  the  children  of  God  ;  and  I  am  inclined  to  include  the 
angels.  But  of  the  sanctuary  we  do  not  find  this  word  any- 
where used  ;  when  the  Scripture  refers  to  the  sanctuary,  the 
letter  fi,  m,  is  added.  He  uses  indeed  the  plural  number, 
though  one  may  suppose  that  both  the  sanctuary  and  its  wor- 
ship are  here  intended.  But  as  this  application  would  be 
strained,  and  without  example,  I  am  satisfied  with  this  plain 
meaning — that  Judah  wsls  faithful  ivith  the  saints ;  that  is,  that 
he  retained  faith  in  God  together  Avith  the  fathers,  and 
departed  not  from  the  pure  worship  which  had  been  delivered 
to  him,  according  to  which  God  had  made  his  covenant  with 
Abraham  and  his  seed. 

But  the  Prophet  here  praises  the  tribe  of  Judah,  not 
because  he  wished  to  flatter  them ;  but,  as  it  has  been  stated 


412  TOE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.         LECT.  XXXI. 

in  a  former  place,  he  had  regard  to  the  office  deputed  to  him. 
When  we  at  this  day  cry  against  our  domestic  evils,  when  we 
say  that  things  are  better  ordered  elsewhere,  under  what 
supposition  is  this  done  ?  We  take  it  as  granted,  that  others 
have  their  own  teachers  by  whom  they  are  reproved,  and  if 
there  be  any  vices  prevailing,  there  are  those  who  are  to  apply 
the  remedy.  This  consideration  then  ought  often  to  be 
remembered  by  us,  that  we  may,  by  way  of  reproach,  bring 
forward  the  conduct  of  others,  when  we  wish  deeply  to  wound 
those,  the  care  of  whom  has  been  committed  to  us  by  God. 
Even  so  our  Prophet  did :  at  the  same  time,  those  Avho  then 
taught  at  Jerusalem  did  not  spare  the  Jews  ;  they  cried 
boldly  and  vehemently  against  their  vices.  But  Hosea,  as 
we  have  said,  does  here  attend  to  his  own  vocation  ;  and  hence 
he  exposes  the  sin  of  the  ten  tribes  in  having  departed  from 
the  legitimate  worship  of  God,  when  they  had  at  the  same 
time  a  well-known  and  memorable  example  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  who  had  continued  in  obedience  to  the  law.  This  is 
the  meaning.     Let  us  noAV  go  on — 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  Ephraim  fecdeth  onwhul,  andfol-        1.  Ephraim  pascitur  veiito,  et 

lowcth  after  the  cast  wind  :  he  daily  in-  sequitur  orientem :  quotidiemeu- 

creaseth  lies  and  desolation  ;  and  they  daciumetvastitatemmultiplicat: 

do  make  a  covenant  with  the  Assyrians,  fcjedus cum  Assyrio  percutiuut,  et 

and  oil  is  carried  into  Egypt.  oleum  in  ^gyptura  portatur. 

The  Prophet  here  inveighs  against  the  vain  hopes  of  the 
people,  for  they  were  inflated  with  such  arrogance,  that  they 
despised  all  instruction  and  all  admonitions.  It  was  there- 
fore necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to  correct  this  vice,  and 
hence  he  says,  Ephraim  feeds  on  icind.  For  when  one  gulps 
the  Avind,  he  seems  indeed  to  fill  his  mouth,  and  his  throat,  and 
his  chest,  and  his  whole  stomach  ;  but  there  is  nothing  but 
air,  no  nourishment.  So  he  says  that  Israel  entertained  in- 
deed much  confidence  in  their  crafty  ways,  but  it  was  to  feed 
only  on  the  wind.  They  dreamt  that  they  were  happy,  Avhen 
they  secured  confederacies,  when  they  had  both  the  Assyrians 
and  the  Egyptians  as  their  associates.     They  are  only  blasts, 


CIlAr.  XII.  1.  COMMENTARIES  ON  IIOSEA.  413 

says  the  Prophet ;  nay,  he  says,  they  are  noxious  blasts  ;  for 
by  the  East  he  understands  the  east  wind,  Avhich  blows  from 
the  rising  of  the  sun  ;  and  this,  as  they  say,  is  in  Judea  a  dry 
and  often  a  stormy  wind.  Other  winds  either  bring  rain  or 
some  other  advantage  :  but  this  wind  brings  nothing  but 
drought  and  storms.  It  hence  then  appears  that  the  Prophet 
meant  that  Israel,  through  this  their  vain  confidence,  procured 
for  themselves  many  sorrows,  and  ever  remained  void  and 
empty.  Epiiraim  ih^w  feeds  on  the  tvind,  and  further,  hefol- 
hios  after  the  east  wind. 

Hosea  explains  afterwards  his  mind  more  clearly.  He  daily 
multiplies  falsehood  and  desolatio?i,  he  says.  By  falsehood  he 
glances,  I  have  no  doubt,  at  the  impostures  by  wliich  the 
people  deceived  themselves,  as  hypocrites  do,  who,  by  sharpen- 
ing their  wits  to  deceive  God,  involve  themselves  in  many 
fatal  snares.  So  also  is  Israel  said  to  have  multiplied  false- 
hood ;  for  they  made  themselves  so  obstinate,  as  to  become 
quite  hardened  against  God's  teaching ;  and  this  obstinacy 
is  called  falsehood  for  this  reason,  for  unbelieving  men,  as  we 
see,  fabricate  for  themselves  many  excuses  ;  and  though  they 
be  impostures,  they  yet  think  themselves  safe  against  all  the 
threatenings  of  God,  provided  they  set  up,  I  know  not  what, 
something  Avhich  they  think  Avill  be  sufficiently  available. 
Hence  the  Prophet  repeats  again,  that  there  was  nothinn-  but 
falsehood  in  all  their  crafty  devices. 

He  then  presses  the  point  still  more,  and  says,  that  it  was 
desolation,  that  is,  the  cause  of  desolation.  He  then  first  de- 
rides the  vain  confidence  of  the  people,  because  they  thouo-ht 
that  they  could  blind  the  eyes  of  God  by  their  vain  disguises  ; 
"  This  is  falsehood,"  he  says,  "  this  is  imposture."  Then  he 
presses  them  more  heavily  and  says,  "  This  is  your  perdition  : 
you  shall  at  last  perceive,  that  you  liave  gained  nothino-  by 
your  counsels  but  destruction." 

How  so?  Because  they  made  a  covenant.  1  take  this 
latter  clause  as  explanatory :  for  if  the  Prophet  had  only 
spoken  generally,  the  impiety  of  the  people  would  not  have 
been  sufficiently  exposed ;  and  the  masks  of  secure  men  must 
be  torn  away,  and  their  crimes,  as  it  were,  painted,  that  they 
may  be  ashamed ;  for  except  they  are  drawn  forth  as  it  were 


414  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROrilETS.       LECT.  XXXI. 

before  the  public,  and  their  turpitude  exposed  to  the  view 
of  all,  they  will  ever  hide  themselves  in  their  secret  places. 
This  then  is  the  reason  why  the   Prophet  here  specifically 
points  out  their  frauds,  Avhich  he  had  before  mentioned.    Be- 
Jwld,  he  says,  they  make  a  covenant  tvith  the  Assyrian,  and 
carry  their  oil  into  Egypt;  that  is,  they  hunt  for  the  friendship 
of  the  Assyrian  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  they  conci- 
liate with  great  importunity  the  Egyptians  ;  nay,  they  spare 
not  their  own  goods,  for  they  carry  presents  in  order  to  gain 
them.     We  now  then  understand  how  Israel  had  multiplied 
falsehood  and  desolation  ;  for  they  implicated  themselves  in 
illicit  compacts.     But  why  it  was  unlawful  for  them  to  fly  to 
the  Assyrians  and  Egyptians,  we  have  explained  elsewhere, 
nor  is  it  needftil  here  to  repeat  at  large  what  has  been  said : 
God  wished  the  people  to  be  under  his  protection ;  and  when 
God  promised  to  be  the  defender  of  their  safety,  they  ought 
to  have  been  satisfied  Avith  his  protection  alone :  but  when 
they  betook  themselves  to  Egypt  and  to  Assyria,  it  was  a 
clear  evidence  of  unbelief;  for  it  was  the  same  as  to  deny  the 
power  of  God  to  be  sufficient  for  them.     And  we  also  know 
that  the  Israelites  never  went  to  Assyria  or  to  Egypt,  except 
when  they  meditated  the  destruction  of  their  own  brethren  ; 
for  they  often  laboured  to  overturn  the  kingdom  of  Judah  : 
they  only  sought  associates  to  gratify  their  own  cruelty.    But 
this  one  reason,  however,  was  abundantly  sufficient  to  con- 
demn them,  that  they  fortified  themselves  by  foreign  aids, 
when  God  was  willing  to  keep   them  as  it  were  inclosed 
under  his  own  wings.     Whenever  then  we  attempt  to  pro- 
vide for  ourselves  by  unlawful  means,  it  is  the  same  thing  as 
if  we  denied  God ;  for  he  calls  and  invites  us  to  come  under 
his  protection  :  but  when  we  run  in  our  thoughts  here  and 
there,  and  seek  some  vain  helps,  we  gi'ievously  dishonour 
God :  it  is,  as  it  were,  to  fly  into  Egypt  or  into  Assyria.  And 
for  this  purpose  ought  the  doctrine  of  this  verse  to  be  applied. 
It  follows — 

2.  The  Lord  bath  also  a  controversy  2.  Contentio  Jehovaa  cum  Je- 

with   Judah,   and  will  punish  Jacob  hudah,  et  ad  visitandum  super 

according  to  his  ways ;  according  to  his  Jacob  :  secundum  vias  ejus,  se- 

doings  will  he  recompense  him.  cundum  opera  ejus  rependet  ei. 


CHAP.  XII.  2.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  415 

It  may  seem  strange  that  the  Prophet  should  now  say,  that 
God  had  a  controversy  un'th  Judah  ;  for  he  had  before  said, 
that  Judah  stood  faithful  with  the  saints.  It  seems  indeed 
inconsistent,  that  God  should  litigate  with  the  Jews,  and  yet 
declare  them  to  be  u;,/jght  and  separate  them  from  the  per- 
fidious and  ungodly.  What  then  does  this  mean  ?  The  Pro- 
phet, as  we  have  said,  spake  comparatively  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  when  he  said  that  they  remained  faithful  with  the 
saints  :  for  he  did  not  intend  wholly  to  exculpate  the  Jews, 
who  were  also  full  of  grievous  evils  ;  but  he  intended  to  praise 
the  worship  which  as  yet  prevailed  at  Jerusalem,  that  the 
impiety  of  the  ten  tribes  might  appear  less  excusable,  who 
of  their  own  accord  had  departed  from  the  rule  which  God 
had  given. 

When  any  one  at  this  day  reproves  the  Papists,  they  say, 
that  another  mode  of  worship  is  unknown  to  them,  and  that 
they  have  been  thus  taught  by  their  forefathers,  and  that  the 
worship  which  they  observe  has  so  continued  from  antiquity, 
that  they  dare  not  either  to  change  it  or  to  deviate  from  it. 
Such  might  have  been  the  excuse  made  by  the  Israelites. 
But  the  Prophet  charges  them  with  voluntary  defection,  for 
the  temple  which  God  had  chosen  for  himself  stood  in  their 
sight ;  there  the  face  of  God  was  in  a  manner  to  be  seen  ;  for 
all  things  were  arranged  according  to  the  heavenly  pattern 
which  had  been  shown  to  Moses  in  the  mount.  Since  then 
pure  religion  was  before  their  eyes,  was  not  their  sin  proved 
by  this  very  fact,  that  having  neglected  the  word  of  God, 
they  gave  themselves  up  to  new  and  fictitious  modes  of  wor- 
ship ?  The  Prophet  then  had  before  praised  the  worship, 
but  not  the  manners,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah ;  and  he  now 
comes  to  their  manners,  and  says,  that  there  were  many 
things  in  Judah  which  God  would  chastise. 

The  Lord  then  hath  a  controversy  with  Judah ;  and  he  will 
begin  with  that  tribe,  and  will  then  come  down  to  the  house 
of  Jacob.  The  Prophet,  however,  speaks  here  only  in  passing 
of  the  house  of  Judah,  and  touches  but  lightly  on  the  con- 
troversy he  had  with  that  portion  of  the  people.  How  was 
this  ?  Because  he  was  not  a  teacher,  as  it  has  been  said 
already,  set  over  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  but  only  over  the 


416  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOrHETS.       LECT.  XXXI. 

Israelites.  He  now  refers  only  to  that  kingdom  for  the  pur- 
pose of  striking  terror  into  his  own  people :  as  though  he 
said,  "  Think  ye  that  the  forbearance  of  God  is  to  be  forever, 
because  he  has  hitherto  borne  with  you  ?  Nay,  God  will 
begin  to  contend  tvith  the  tribe  of  Judah.  I  have  said,  in- 
deed, that  they  are  innocent  compared  with  you ;  but  yet 
they  shall  not  escape  punishment ;  for  in  a  short  time  God 
will  summon  them  to  judgment.  If  he  will  not  spare  the 
Jews,  how  can  your  great  crimes  go  unpunished  ?  For  cer- 
tainly you  deserve  hundred  deaths  in  comparison  with  the 
Jews,  among  whom  at  least  some  integrity  and  uprightness 
exist ;  for  they  have  made  no  change  in  the  worship  of  God. 
Their  life  is  corrupt ;  but  yet  the  law  of  God  and  religion  are 
not  despised  by  them  as  they  are  by  you.  If  then  God  will 
not  spare  them,  much  less  will  he  spare  you." 

We  now  understand  for  what  purpose  the  Proj^liet  says  that 
God  had  a  controversy  with  Judah ;  for  it  was  not  his  design 
to  terrify  the  Jews  themselves,  or  to  exhort  them  to  repent- 
ance, except  it  may  be  by  the  way ;  but  his  object  was  to 
j)resent  an  example  to  the  Israelites,  that  they  might  fear  ; 
for  they  ought  to  have  thought  Avithin  themselves,  "  If  this 
shall  be  done  in  the  green,  what  shall  become  of  the  dry  tree? 
(Luke  xxiii.  31.)  If  God  will  exercise  with  so  much  severity 
his  vengeance  against  our  brethren  the  Jews,  among  whom 
pure  religion  as  yet  exists,  what  sort  of  end  and  how  dread- 
ful is  that  Avhich  awaits  us,  who  have  departed  from  the  law, 
the  worship,  the  teaching,  and  the  obedience  of  God,  who  are 
become  truce-breakers,  and  degenerate,  and  in  every  way 
profane  ?" 

Hence  he  immediately  adds.  And  niill punish  Jacob.  "  God 
will  indeed  begin  with  the  tribe  of  Judah ;  this  will  be  the 
prelude,  and  he  will  treat  the  Jews  more  mildly  than  you ; 
but  against  you  he  will  thunder  in  full  force.  It  will  not 
then  be  a  remonstrance  to  di-aw  you  to  repentance,  but  a 
punishment  such  as  ye  deserve ;  for  he  has  already  contended 
with  you  more  than  enough." 

According  to  his  ways,  according  to  his  doings,  will  he  recom- 
pense him.  He  sets  down  here  toays  and  doings,  with  no  su- 
perfluous repetition,  but  to  show  that  the  repentance  of  this 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  417 

people  had  been  already  more  than  sufficiently  looked  for : 
for  they  had  not  ceased  for  a  long  time  to  pursue  their  own 
wickedness.  The  Prophet  then,  no  doubt,  condemns  here 
the  Jews  for  their  perverse  wickedness,  that  they  never  left 
off  their  sins,  though  they  had  now  for  a  long  time  been 
admonished,  and  had  been  often  reproved  by  the  Prophets. 
It  now  follows — 

'    8.  He  took  his  brother  by  3.  In  utero  apprehendit  plantam  fratri 

the  heel  in  the  womb,  and  suo;  et  in  fortitudine  sua  dominatus  est 

by  his  strength  he  had  power  cum  Deo  {quanquam  nomen  Qin^Xi  Aletm, 

with  God :  transfertur  etiam  scepe  ad  Angelas.^ 

4.  Yea,  he  had  power  over  4.  Et  dominatus  est  cum  Angelo  (re/, 
the  angel,  and  prevailed  :  he  adversus  Angelum  ;  vel^  luctatus  est,  si 
wept,  and  made  supplication  quls  malit.,  quanquam  ad  verbum  ita 
unto  him:  he  found  him  in  habetur ;  sed  quia  sequitur  ^3"|S  iucal., 
Bethel,  and  there  ho  spake  prcBvaluit,  ideo  libenter  admitto  luctandi 
with  us ;  verbum,  non  quod  proprie  conveniat,  -fed 

rem  potius  respicio  quam  verba)  et  praj- 
valuit ;  flevit  et  rogavit  eum :  in  Bethel 
invenit  eum,  et  illic  locutus  est  cum  eo  ; 

5.  Even  the  Lord  of  hosts  ;  5.  Et  Jehova  Deus  exercituum ;  Je- 
The  Lord  is  his  memorial.  hova  memoria  ejus. 

In  all  this  discourse  the  Prophet  condemns  the  ingratitude 
of  the  people  ;  and  then  he  shows  how  shamefully  they  had 
departed  from  the  example  of  their  father,  in  whose  name 
they  yet  took  pride.  This  is  the  substance.  Their  ingrati- 
tude is  showed  in  this,  that  they  did  not  acknowledge  that 
they  had  been  anticipated, '  in  the  person  of  their  father 
Jacob,  by  the  gratuitous  mercy  of  God.  The  first  history 
is  indeed  referred  to  for  this  end,  that  the  posterity  of  Jacob 
might  understand  that  they  had  been  elected  by  God  before 
they  were  born.  For  Jacob  did  not,  by  choice  or  design,  lay 
hold  on  the  heel  of  his  brother  in  his  mother's  womb ;  but  it 
was  an  extraordinary  thing.  It  was  then  God  who  guided 
the  hand  of  the  infant,  and  by  this  sign  testified  his  adoption 
to  be  gratuitous.  In  short,  by  saying  that  Jacob  held  the 
foot  of  his  brother  in  his  mother's  womb,  the  same  thinar  is 
intended,  as  if  God  had  reminded  the  Israelites,  that  they  did 

^  Praeventum  fuisse.  This  is  a  most  difficult  word  to  render  concisely 
and  intelligibly.  To  prevent,  in  the  sense  of  going  before,  is  not  current. 
The  meaning  here  is,  that  they  did  not  own  that  in  the  case  of  Jacob 
free  mercy  was  previous  to  any  good  on  his  pait. — Ed. 

VOL.  I.  2d 


418  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  TROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXI. 

not  excel  other  people  by  their  own  virtue  or  that  of  their 
parents ;  but  that  God  of  his  own  good  pleasure  had  chosen 
them.  The  same  is  alleged  against  them  by  Malachi,  '  Were 
not  Jacob  and  Esau  brethren  ?  Yet  Jacob  I  loved,  and  Esau 
I  regarded  with  hatred,'  (Mai.  i.  2,  3.)  For  we  know  with 
what  haughtiness  this  nation  has  ever  exalted  itself.  "  But 
-whence  have  ye  arisen  ?  Look  back  to  your  origin  :  ye  are 
indeed  the  children  of  Abraham  and  Isaac.  In  what  then  do 
ye  differ  from  the  Idumeans  ?  They  have  certainly  been 
begotten  by  Esau ;  and  Esau  was  the  son  of  Isaac  and  the 
brother  of  Jacob,  and  indeed  the  first-born.  Ye  then  do 
not  excel  as  to  any  dignity  that  may  exist  in  you.  Own  then 
your  origin,  and  know  that  whatever  excellency  may  be  in 
you  proceeds  from  the  mere  favour  of  God,  and  this  ought 
to  bind  you  more  and  more  to  him.  Whence  then  is  this 
pride?" 

Even  thus  does  our  Prophet  now  speak,  Jacob  held  the  foot 
of  his  brother  in  his  mother^ s  womb ;  that  is,  "  You  have  a  near 
relationship  with  Esau  and  his  posterity ;  but  they  are  de- 
tested by  you.  Whence  is  this  ?  Is  it  for  some  merit  of 
your  own  ?  Boast  when  you  can  show  that  any  thing  has 
proceeded  from  you  which  could  gain  favour  before  God. 
Nay,  your  father  Jacob,  a  most  holy  man  indeed,  while  yet 
in  his  mother's  womb,  laid  hold  on  the  foot  of  his  brother 
Esau  ;  that  is,  when  he  became  superior  to  his  brother  and 
gained  primogeniture,  he  was  not  grown  up,  and  could  do 
nothing  by  his  own  choice  or  power,  for  he  was  then  inclosed 
in  his  mother's  womb,  and  had  no  worthiness,  no  merit.  Your 
ingratitude  is  now  then  the  more  base,  for  God  had  put  you 
under  obligations  to  him  before  ye  were  born ;  in  the  person 
of  the  holy  patriarch  he  chose  you  for  his  possession.  But 
now,  having  forsaken  him,  and  relinquished  the  worship 
which  he  has  taught  in  his  law,  ye  abandon  yourselves  to 
idols  and  impious  superstitions.  Bring  now  your  pretences 
by  which  ye  cover  your  impiety !  Is  not  your  baseness  so 
gross  and  palpable,  that  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  it  ?" 
We  now  then  understand  the  end  for  which  the  Prophet  said 
that  Esau  s  foot  teas  laid  hold  on  by  Jacob  in  his  mother's  womb. 

ISIoreover,  this  passage  clearly  shows  that  men  do  not  gain 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.     C0M3iENTAlllES  ON  HOSEA.  410 

the  favour  of  God  by  their  free-will,  hut  are  chosen  by  his 
goodness  alone  before  they  are  born,  and  chooeu,  not  on 
account  of  works,  as  the  Papists  Imagine,  who  concede  some 
election  to  God,  but  think  that  it  depends  on  future  works. 
But  if  it  be  so,  the  charge  of  the  Prophet  was  frigid  and 
jejune.  Now  since  God  through  his  good  pleasure  alone 
anticipates  men,  and  adopts  those  whom  he  pleases,  not  on 
account  of  works,  but  through  his  own  mercy,  it  hence 
follows  that  those  who  have  been  chosen  are  more  bound  to 
him,  and  that  they  are  less  excusable  when  they  reject  the 
favour  offered  to  them. 

But  here  some  one  may  object  and  say,  that  it  is  strange 
that  the  posterity  of  Jacob  should  be  said  to  have  been 
elected  in  his  person,  and  yet  they  had  in  the  meantime  de- 
parted from  God  ;  for  the  election  of  God  in  this  case  would 
not  be  sure  and  permanent ;  and  we  know  that  whom 
God  elects  he  also  justifies,  and  their  salvation  is  so  secured, 
that  none  of  them  can  perish ;  all  the  elect  are  also  delivered 
to  Christ  as  their  preserver,  that  he  may  keep  them  by  his 
divine  power,  which  is  Invincible,  as  John  teaches  In  chap.  x. 
What  then  does  this  mean  ?  Now  we  know,  and  It  has  been 
before  stated,  that  the  election  of  God  as  to  that  people  was 
twofold ;  for  the  one  was  general,  and  the  other  special.  The 
election  of  holy  Jacob  was  special,  for  he  was  really  one  of 
the  children  of  God ;  special  also  was  the  election  of  those 
who  are  called  by  Paul  the  children  of  the  promise,  (Kom.  ix. 
8.)  There  was  another,  a  general  election  ;  for  he  received 
his  whole  seed  into  his  faith,  and  offered  to  all  his  cove- 
nant. At  the  same  time,  they  were  not  all  regenerated, 
they  were  not  all  gifted  with  the  Spirit  of  adoption.  This 
general  election  was  not  then  efficacious  In  all.  Solved  now 
is  the  matter  in  debate,  that  no  one  of  the  elect  shall  perish ; 
for  the  whole  people  were  not  elected  in  a  special  manner ; 
but  God  knew  whom  he  had  chosen  out  of  that  people  ;  and 
them  he  endued,  as  we  have  said,  with  the  Spirit  of  adoption, 
and  supplied  with  his  own  grace,  that  they  might  never  fall 
away.  Others  were  indeed  chosen  in  a  certain  way,  that  Is, 
God  offered  to  them  the  covenant  of  salvation ;  but  yet 
through  their  ingratitude  they  caused  God  to  reject  them, 
and  to  disown  them  as  children. 


420  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXI. 

But  the  Prophet  subjoins,  that  Jacob  hy  his  strength  had 
power  with  God,  and  had  prevailed  also  tvith  the  angel.  He 
reproaches  here  the  Israehtes  for  making  a  false  claim  to  the 
name  of  Jacob,  since  they  had  nothing  in  common  with  him, 
but  had  shamefully  departed  from  his  example.  He  had  then 
poiver  with  the  angel  and  ivith  God  himself;  and  he  prevailed 
over  the  angel.  But  what  sort  of  persons  were  they  ?  As 
the  heathen  Poets  called  the  Romans,  when  they  became 
degenerated  and  effeminate,  Eomulidians,  and  said  that  they 
had  sprung  from  those  remarkable  and  illustrious  heroes, 
whose  prowesses  were  then  well  known,  and  for  the  same 
reason  called  them  Scipiadians ;  so  also  the  Prophet  says, 
"  Come  now,  ye  children  of  Jacob,  what  sort  of  men  are  ye  ? 
He  was  endued  with  a  heroic,  yea,  with  an  angelic  power, 
and  even  more  than  angelic ;  for  he  Avi-estled  with  God  and 
gained  the  victory  ;  but  ye  are  the  slaves  of  idols ;  the  devil 
retains  you  devoted  to  himself;  ye  are,  as  it  were,  in  a  bawdy- 
house  ;  for  what  else  is  your  temple  but  a  brothel?  And 
then  ye  arc  like  adulterers,  and  daily  commit  adultery  with 
your  idols.  Your  abominations,  what  are  they  but  filthy 
chains,  and  which  prove  that  there  is  no  knowledge  and  no 
heart  in  you?  For  you  must  have  been  fascinated,  when 
ye  forsook  God  and  adopted  new  and  profane  modes  of 
Avorship."  This  difference  between  the  holy  patriarch  Jacob 
and  his  posterity  must  be  marked,  otherwise  we  shall  not  un- 
derstand the  object  of  the  Prophet ;  and  it  will  avail  but  little 
to  collect  various  opinions,  except  first  we  know  what  the 
Prophet  meant,  and  what  was  the  purport  of  this  upbraiding, 
and  of  this  narrative,  that  Jacob  had  power  with  God  and 
the  angel. 

But  it  must  be  noticed,  that  God  and  angel  are  here  men- 
tioned in  the  same  sense ;  we  may,  indeed,  render  it  angel 
in  both  places ;  for  DTI^X?  Aleim,  as  well  as  *TJ»{7/!3;  nielacy 
signifies  an  angel.  But,  however,  every  doubt  is  removed 
by  the  Prophet,  when  he  at  last  adds,  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts, 
Jehovah  is  his  7iamc,  for  here  the  Prophet  expressly  mentions 
the  essential  name  of  God,  by  which  he  testifies,  that  the 
same  was  the  eternal  and  the  only  true  God,  who  yet  was  at 
the  same  time  an  angel.     But  it  may  be  asked,  How  was  he 


CHAP.  Xir.  3,  4,  5.     C0M3IENTAR1ES  ON  HOSEA.  421 

the  eternal  God,  and  at  the  same  time  an  angel  ?  It  occurs, 
indeed,  so  frequently  in  Scripture,  that  it  must  be  well  known 
to  us,  that  when  the  Lord,  appeared  by  his  angels,  the  name 
of  Jehovah  was  given  to  them,  not  indeed  to  all  the  angels 
indiscriminately,  but  to  the  chief  angel,  by  -whom  God  mani- 
fested himself.  This,  as  I  have  said,  must  be  well  known  to 
us.  It  then  follows,  that  this  angel  was  truly  and  essentially 
God.  But  this  would  not  strictly  apply  to  God,  except  there 
be  some  distinction  of  persons.  There  must  then  be  some 
person  in  the  Deity,  to  which  this  name  and  title  of  an  angel 
can  apply  ;  for  if  we  take  the  name,  God,  without  difference  or 
distinction,  and  regard  it  as  denoting  his  essence,  it  would 
certainly  be  inconsistent  to  say,  that  he  is  God  and  an  angel 
too  ;  but  when  we  distinguish  persons  in  the  Deity,  there  is 
no  inconsistency.  How  so  ?  Because  Christ,  the  eternal 
Wisdom  of  God,  did  put  on  the  character  of  a  Mediator,  be- 
fore he  put  on  our  flesh.  He  was  therefore  then  a  Mediator, 
and  in  that  capacity  he  was  also  an  angel.  He  was  at  the 
same  time  Jehovah,  Avho  is  now  God  manifested  in  the  flesh. 
But  we  must,  on  the  other  hand,  refute  the  delirium,  or 
the  diabolical  madness  of  that  caviller,  Servetus,  who  ima- 
ginell  that  Christ  was  from  the  beginning  an  angel,  as  if  he 
was  a  phantom,  and  a  distinct  person,  having  an  essence 
apart  from  the  Father;  for  he  says,  that  he  was  formed  from 
three  uncreated  elements.  This  diabolical  conceit  ought  to 
be  wholly  discarded  by  us.  But  Christ,  though  he  was  God, 
was  also  a  Mediator ;  and  as  a  Mediator,  he  is  rightly  and , 
fitly  called  the  angel  or  the  messenger  of  God,  for  he  has  of 
his  own  accord  placed  himself  between  the  Father  and  men. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  inasmuch  as  thou  showest  thyself  to 
us  at  this  day  so  kindly  as  a  Father,  having  presented  to  us  a 
singular  and  an  invaluable  pledge  of  thy  favour  in  thy  only- 
begotten  Son, — O  grant,  that  we  may  entirely  devote  ourselves 
to  thee,  and  truly  render  thee  that  free  service  and  obedience 
\Yhich  is  due  to  a  Father,  so  that  we  may  have  no  other  object 
ill  life  but  to  confirm  that  adoption,  with  which  thou  hast  once 
favoured  us,  until  we  at  length,  being  gathered  into  tlij^  eternal 
kingdom,  shall  partake  of  its  fruit,  together  with  Christ  Jesus 
thy  Son.     Amen. 


422  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXI. 


Yesterday  we  explained  how  it  seemed  proper  to  call 
him  who  appeared  to  holy  Jacob  in  Bethel  both  God  and 
an  angel ;  for  the  name,  Jehovah,  by  which  is  expressed  the 
eternal  power,  essence,  and  majesty  of  God,  could  not  be 
transferred  to  a  mere  angel.  It  is  hence  certain  that  he  was 
the  only  true  God.  But  it  could  not  be,  that  he  was  simply 
and  without  any  distinction  called  an  angel ;  but  as  Christ 
even  then  sustained  the  character  of  a  Mediator,  he  was  not 
inconsistently  called  an  angel ;  and  yet  we  know  that  he  is 
the  eternal  God.  So  this  passage  is  worthy  of  being  remem- 
bered, as  it  bears  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  Christ ;  for  the 
Prophet  clearly  affirms  that  he  is  Jehovah,  the  Creator  of 
heaven  and  earth,  and  that  he  is  so  by  his  own  power ;  and 
that  he  does  not  subsist  in  another,  as  all  creatures  do.  Since 
then  he  is  so,  his  sovereignty  is  proved,  so  that  he  is  not  in- 
ferior to  the  Father. 

But  he  says,  that  this  is  his  memorial,  or  remembrance. 
This  expression  has  reference  to  men ;  the  Prophet  then 
means,  that  this  wonderful  and  magnificent  name  would  be 
well  known  in  the  world,  when  Christ  should  be  revealed. 
The  people,  indeed,  even  then  acknowledged  that  the  true 
God  appeared  to  their  father  Jacob ;  but  the  knowledge  of  a 
Mediator  was  hitherto  obscure.  The  Prophet  then  seems  to 
have  respect  here  to  the  coming  of  Christ ;  as  though  he  said, 
that  the  name,  Jehovah,  would  be  widely  known  to  all,  when 
the  Mediator  would  be  more  clearly  exhibited.  But  I  will 
come  now  to  the  other  parts  of  the  passage. 

The  Prophet  says  that  he  toas  a  prince,  or  had  power,  bij 
his  strength  with  God.  What  this  saying  imports,  I  shall 
shortly  explain.  The  name,  Israel,  was  given  to  Jacob,  be- 
cause of  the  victory  he  obtained  in  that  noble  wrestling,  of 
which  mention  is  made  in  Gen.  xxxii. :  for  the  holy  man  had 
not  a  contest  with  a  mortal  being,  but  with  God  himself;  and 
he  overcame  in  that  combat,  and  is  hence  called  the  con- 
queror of  God.     As  this  mode  of  speaking  is  harsh,  some  have 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.     COMMENTAIllES  ON  HOSEA.  423 

endeavoured  by  a  comment  to  turn  it  to  something  more 
moderate,  that  is,  that  Jacob  was  a  ■prince  with  God,  meaning, 
that  God  approved  of  his  unAvonted  courage.  But  God 
meant  to  express  something  more,  wlien  he  gave  this  name 
to  his  servant ;  for  he  confessed  that  he  gave  way,  being,  as 
it  were,  overcome,  and  yielded  the  palm  of  victory  to  holy 
Jacob.  And  this  ought  not  to  appear  strange  to  us  ;  for  we 
know  that  whenever  God  proves  our  faith,  and  tries  us  by 
temptations,  these  are  so  many  combats  by  which  he  con- 
tends with  us  ;  for  he  seeks  to  find  out  what  is  the  strength 
of  our  faith.  Now,  when  we  are  said  to  wrestle  with  God, 
and  the  issue  of  the  contest  be  such,  that  God  leaves  the  vic- 
tory to  us,  we  are  not  then  improperly  called  conquerors,  yea, 
even  of  God  himself.  But  how?  Because  God  works  wonder- 
fully in  his  saints,  so  that  by  his  own  power  he  casts  down 
himself ;  and  while  he  wrestles  with  us,  he  supplies  us  with 
strength,  by  which  we  are  enabled  to  bear  the  weight  and 
pressure  of  the  contest.  Were  God  to  assail  us,  what  would 
he  find  but  weakness  ?  But  when  he  calls  us  to  the  struffffle, 
he  at  the  same  time  supplies  us  with  the  necessary  arms. 

And  it  is  a  Avonderful  marshalling  of  the  contest,  when 
God  on  one  side  makes  himself  an  antagonist,  and,  on  the 
other,  fights  in  us  against  his  own  temptations,  or  against  all 
those  wrestlings  by  which  he  tries  our  faith.  Hence  God  is 
said  to  be  overcome  by  us,  when,  by  the  power  and  aid  of 
his  own  Spirit,  he  strengthens  and  renders  us  unconquerable ; 
yea,  when  he  makes  us  to  triumph  over  temptations.  And 
when  we  consider  everything,  such  is  the  state  of  the  case, 
that  God  will  have  the  greater  portion  of  strength  to  be  on 
our  side,  and  that  he  only  takes  the  Aveaker  portion  to  tempt 
and  try  us.  There  is  not  indeed,  in  this  case,  to  be  imagined 
by  us,  any  such  separation,  as  if  God  was  divided  against 
himself ;  but  we  know,  that  when  he  tries  our  faith,  he  comes 
forth  as  if  he  were  a  contender,  or  as  if  he  challenged  us  to 
the  contest.  This  is  indeed  certain.  For  what  are  tempta- 
tions, or  what  is  their  object,  but  to  afford  us  an  occasion  to 
exhibit,  as  on  a  field  of  battle,  an  example  and  proof  of  our 
strength  and  firmness  ?  But  this  could  not  be  done  without 
an  adversary  ;  for  what  advantage  Avould  it  be  to  fight  with 


424  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXII. 

a  shadow,  or  when  no  one  engages  with  iis  ?  Hence  God  is 
like  an  adversary  whenever  he  tries  our  faith ;  and,  as  it  has 
been  said  before,  we  have  this  contest  not  with  men,  but  with 
God  himself.  We  have  indeed  to  contend,  ^vith  the  devil ; 
for  Paul  says,  that  we  have  to  fight  not  (only)  with  flesh  and 
blood,  but  with  mighty  powers,  (Eph.  vi.  12.)  This  is  doubt- 
less true ;  but  the  Lord,  at  the  same  time,  holds  the  first 
place,  as  that  remarkable  passage  in  Job  testifies,  '  The  Lord 
gave,  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,'  (Job  i.  14.)  So,  then,  we 
must  eno;ao;e  with  God  himself.  How  so  ?  Because  he  tries 
and  proves  vis.  But  he  does  not  tempt  us,  as  James  says, 
(James  i.  14;)  for  a  person  is  tempted  when  he  is  drawn 
away  by  his  own  lust.  He  does  not  tempt  us  to  evil ;  he 
does  not  instil  into  us  corrupt  desires,  which  grow  up  spon- 
taneously, and  which  are  innate  in  our  nature  :  but  he  tempts, 
that  is,  proves  us,  as  he  is  said  to  have  tempted  Abraham, 
(Gen.  xxii.  1.) 

Since  it  is  so,  we  must  now  wrestle  with  God ;  but  for 
what  end  ?  That  we  may  conquer  :  for  God  intends  not  to 
overwhelm  us,  while  he  is  making  known  our  faith  and  con- 
stancy of  obedience ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  builds  a  theatre, 
on  which  to  show  his  gifts.  We  therefore  come  to  the 
struggle  with  the  hope  of  overcoming.  That  we  may  over- 
come, he,  as  I  have  said,  not  only  exhorts  us  to  be  strong, 
but  supplies  us  also  with  arms,  endues  us  with  strength,  and 
also  fights  himself,  in  a  manner,  with  us,  and  is  powerful  in 
us,  and  enables  us  to  overcome  our  temptations.  For  this 
reason,  Jacob  is  said  to  have  power  with  God,  or  to  have 
been  God's  conqueror. 

But  what  the  Prophet  adds  may  seem  strange,  that  this 
was  done  by  his  strength.  He  had  power  with  God,  he  says, 
by  his  own  strength.  But  if  Israel  had  fought  by  his  own 
valour,  he  could  not  have  borne  even  the  shadow  of  God,  for 
he  must  have  fallen.  He  must  have  been  brought  to  nothing, 
had  he  not  power  greater  than  that  of  man.  What,  then, 
does  this  mean,  that  he  was  a  conqueror  by  his  own  strength  ? 
We  grant,  that  this  strength,  of  which  the  Pi'ophet  speaks, 
may  be  ascribed  to  holy  Jacob  when  he  gained  dominion. 
There  is  no  better  title,  as  they  commonly  say,  than  that  of 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.     COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  425 

donation ;  and  God  is  wont  to  transfer  to  us  whatever  he 
bestows,  as  if  it  were  our  own.  It  is  then  necessary  to  dis- 
tinguish wisely  here  between  the  strength  which  man  has  in 
himself,  and  that  which  God  confers  on  him.  The  Papists, 
as  soon  as  any  mention  is  made  of  the  strength  or  power  of 
man,  instantly  lay  hold  on  it,  and  say,  "  If  there  is  no  free- 
will in  man,  there  is  no  strength,  or  there  is  no  power  to  re- 
sist." But  they  betray  their  own  stupidity  and  thoughtless- 
ness, inasmuch  as  they  cannot  distinguish  between  the  intrinsic 
strength  which  is  in  man  himself  by  nature,  and  the  adven- 
titious strength  with  which  God  endues  men,  and  which  is 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  the  Prophet,  \\hen  he  here 
commends  the  strength  of  holy  Jacob,  does  not  extol  his 
free-will,  as  though  he  derived  strength  from  himself,  by 
which  he  overcame  God  ;  but  he  means  that  he  was  divinely 
endued  with  unconquerable  power,  so  that  he  came  forth  a 
conqueror  in  the  contest.  We  now  then  apprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

And  since  this  was  especially  worthy  of  being  remembered, 
he  repeats,  that  he  had  power  with  the  angel,  and  prevailed. 
But  we  have  already  said  how  Jacob  prevailed,  not  indeed  of 
himself,  but  because  God  had  so  distributed  his  power,  that 
the  greater  part  was  in  Jacob  himself.  I  am  therefore  wont, 
when  I  speak  of  the  wrestling  and  of  the  daily  contests  with 
which  God  exercises  the  godly,  to  adduce  this  similitude, — 
That  God  fights  with  us  with  his  left  hand,  and  defends  us 
with  his  right  hand  ;  that  is,  he  assails  us  in  a  weak  manner, 
(so  to  speak,)  and  at  the  same  time  stretches  forth  his  right 
hand  to  defend  us :  he  displays,  in  the  latter  instance,  his 
greater  power,  that  we  may  become  victorious  in  the  struggle. 
And  this  mode  of  speaking,  though  at  the  first  view  it  seems 
harsh,  does  yet  wonderfully  set  forth  the  grace  and  goodness 
of  God,  inasmuch  as  he  deigns  to  humble  himself  for  our 
sake,  so  as  to  choose  to  concede  to  us  the  praise  of  victory  ; 
not  indeed  that  we  may  become  proud  of  ourselves,  but  that 
he  may  be  thus  more  glorified,  when  he  prefers  exercising  his 
power  in  defending  us  rather  than  in  overwhelming  us,  which 
he  could  do  with  one  breath  of  his  mouth.  For  he  has  no 
need  of  making  any  effort  to  reduce  us  to  nothing:  if  he  only 


426  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXII. 

chooses  to  blow  on  the  whole  human  race,  the  whole  world 
would  in  a  moment  be  extino-uished.  But  the  Lord  fights 
with  us,  and  at  the  same  time  suffers  us  not  to  be  crushed ; 
nay,  he  raises  us  up  on  high,  and,  as  I  have  already  said,  con- 
cedes to  us  the  victory.     Let  us  now  go  on. 

The  Prophet  adds,  that  he  wept  and  entreated  :  He  icej)ty  he 
says,  and  made  supplication  unto  him.  Some  explain  this  clause 
of  the  angel ;  but  I  know  not  whether  weeping  was  suitable 
to  him.  The  saying  may  be  indeed  defended,  that  the  angel 
was  as  it  were  a  suppliant,  wlien  he  yielded  up  the  conquest 
to  the  holy  man ;  for  it  was  the  same  as  though  he  who  owns 
himself  unequal  in  a  contest  were  to  throw  himself  on  the 
ground.  Then  they  explain  weeping  thus,  "  The  angel  en- 
treated the  patriarch  when  he  said,  'Let  me  go;'  and  this 
Avas  a  confession  of  victory."  The  sense  woidd  then  be,  that 
the  patriarch  Jacob  did  not  gain  any  ordinary  thing  when  he 
came  forth  a  conqueror  in  the  struggle ;  for  God  was  in  a 
manner  the  suppliant,  for  he  conceded  to  him  the  name  and 
praise  of  a  conqueror.  But  I  prefer  explaining  this  of  the 
patriarch,  and  to  do  so  is,  in  my  judgment,  more  suitable.  It 
is  not  indeed  said  that  Jacob  wept ;  that  is,  it  is  not,  I  own, 
stated  distinctly  and  expressly  by  Moses  ;  but  weeping  may 
be  taken  for  that  humility  which  the  faithful  ever  bring  to  the 
presence  of  God  :  and  then  weeping  was  meet  for  the  patri- 
arch ;  for  he  so  gained  the  victory  in  the  combat,  that  he  did 
not  depart  without  grief  and  loss,  inasmuch  as  we  know  that 
his  leg  was  put  out  of  joint,  and  that  his  thigh  was  dislocated, 
so  that  he  was  lame  all  his  life.  Jacob  then  obtained  the  vic- 
tory, and  there  triumphed  with  God's  approbation  :  but  yet 
he  departed  not  whole,  for  God  had  left  him  lame.  He  felt 
then  no  small  grief,  since  this  weakness  in  his  body  continued 
through  life.  Plence  weeping  did  not  ill  become  the  holy 
man,  who  was  humbled  in  the  struggle,  though  he  carried 
away  the  palm  of  victory. 

And  this  ouglit  to  be  carefully  noticed ;  for  here  the  Pro- 
phet meets  all  calumnies,  when  he  so  moderates  the  sentence, 
that  he  takes  away  nothing  from  God  and  his  glory,  though 
he  thus  splendidly  adorns  the  victory  of  the  patriarch.  He 
was  then  a  prince  ivith  God ;  he  prevailed  also,  he  became  a 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  427 

conqueror, — but  how  ?  He  yet  wept  and  entreated  him  ;  which 
means,  that  there  was  no  cause  for  pride  that  he  carried 
away  the  palm  of  victory  from  the  contest,  but  that  God  led 
him  to  humility  even  by  the  dislocation  of  his  thigh  or  leg  : 
and  so  he  entreated  him.  The  praying  of  Jacob  is  related 
by  Moses,  which  he  made,  when  he  asked  to  be  blessed.  But 
the  less,  as  the  Apostle  says,  is  blessed  by  the  greater,  (Heb. 
vii.  7.)  Then  Jacob  did  not  exalt  himself,  as  blind  men  do, 
who  claim  merit  to  themselves ;  but  he  prayed  to  God,  and 
asked  to  be  blessed  by  Him,  who  owned  himself  to  be  over- 
come. And  this  ought  to  be  carefully  observed,  especially 
the  additional  circumstance  ;  for  we  hence  learn  that  there  is 
no  cause  why  they  who  are  proved  by  temptations  should 
flee  away  from  God,  though  our  flesh  indeed  seeks  ease,  and 
desires  to  be  spared. 

But  when  a  temptation  is  at  hand,  we  withdraw  ourselves, 
and  there  is  no  one  who  would  not  gladly  make  a  truce,  and 
also  hide  himself  at  a  distance  from  the  presence  of  God.  In- 
asmuch then  as  we  desire  God  to  be  far  from  us,  when  he 
comes  forth  as  an  antagonist  to  try  our  faith,  this  praying  of 
Jacob  ought  to  be  remembered ;  for  though  he  had  his  leg 
disjointed,  though  he  was  worn  out  with  weariness,  he  did 
not  yet  withdraw  himself,  he  did  not  wish  the  departure  of 
the  angel,  but  retained  him  as  it  were  by  force  :  "  Thou  shalt 
bless  me ;  I  would  rather  contend  with  thee,  and  be  wholly 
consumed,  than  to  let  thee  go  before  thou  blessest  me."  We 
hence  see  that  we  ought  to  seek  the  presence  of  God;  though 
he  may  severely  try  us,  though  we  may  suffer  much,  though 
our  strength  fail,  though  we  may  be  made  lame  through  life, 
we  ought  not  yet  to  shun  the  presence  of  God,  but  rather 
embrace  him  with  both  arms,  and  retain  him  as  it  were  by 
force  ;  for  it  is  much  better  to  groan  under  our  burden,  and 
to  feel  his  power  who  is  above  us,  than  to  continue  free  from 
toil,  and  to  rot  in  our  pleasures,  as  they  do  whom  God  for- 
sakes. And  we  see  how  much  such  an  indulgence  ought  to 
be  dreaded  by  us  ;  for  unless  we  are  daily  sharpened  by 
various  temptations,  we  immediately  gather  rust  and  other 
evils.  It  is  therefore  necessary,  in  order  that  we  may  con- 
tinue In  a  sound  state,  that  our  contests  should  be  daily 


428  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXII. 

renewed  :  and  hence  I  have  said,  that  we  ought  to  seek  the 
presence  of  God,  however  severe  the  wrestling  may  be. 

It  follows,  He  found  him  in  Bethel.  To  remove  every  am- 
biguity, I  would  render  it,  "  In  Bethel  he  had  found  him." 
It  is  indeed  a  verb  in  the  future  tense  ;  but  it  is  certain  that 
the  Prophet  speaks  of  the  past.  But  when  we  take  the  past 
tense,  ambiguity  in  the  language  still  remains ;  for  some  thus 
understand  the  place,  that  God  had  afterwards  found  Jacob 
in  Bethel,  or,  that  Jacob  had  found  God ;  that  is,  Avhen  the 
name  of  Israel  was  confirmed  to  him,  after  the  destruction  of 
the  town  of  Sichem  ;  for,  to  console  his  grief,  God  appeared 
to  him  there  again.  They  then  explain  this  of  a  second  vision 
in  that  place.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet  had  an- 
other thing  in  view,  even  this,  that  God  had  already  found 
Jacob  in  Bethel,  that  he  had  met  him  when  he  fled  to  Syria, 
and  went  away  through  the  fear  of  his  brother.  It  was  then 
for  the  first  time  that  God  appeared  to  his  servant,  and  ex- 
horted him  to  faithfulness  :  he  promised  to  him  a  safe  return 
to  his  own  country.  The  Prophet  then  means,  that  Jacob 
gained  the  victory,  because  God  had  long  before  began  to  em- 
brace him  in  his  love,  and  also  testified  his  love  when  he  had 
manifested  himself  to  him  in  Bethel.  Hence  he  found  him  in 
Bethel.  This  might  indeed  be  referred  to  Jacob,  "  He  found 
him  in  Bethel;"  that  is,  he  found  God.  But  as  it  is  imme- 
diately added.  There  he  spake  with  iis,  and  as  this  cannot  be 
applied  to  any  other  than  to  God  himself,  I  am  inclined  to 
add  also,  that  God  had  found  Jacob  in  Bethel.  And  the  Pro- 
phet commends  to  us  again  the  gratuitous  goodness  of  God 
towards  Jacob,  because  he  deigned  to  meet  him  on  his  way, 
and  to  show  that  he  was  the  leader  of  Jacob  on  his  journey : 
for  he  did  not  think  previously  that  God  Avas  nigh  him,  as  he 
says  himself,  '  This  is  the  house  of  God,  and  the  gate  of  hea- 
ven, and  I  knew  it  not,'  (Gen.  xxviii.  16,  17.)  When  there- 
fore the  holy  man  thought  himself  to  be  as  it  were  cast  away 
by  God,  and  destitute  of  all  aid,  when  he  was  alone  and  with- 
out any  hope,  God  is  said  to  have  found  him  ;  for  of  his  own 
o-ood  will  he  presented  himself  to  him,  when  the  holy  man 
hoped  no  such  thing,  nor  conceived  such  a  thing  in  his  mind. 
Hence  God  had  already  found  his  servant  in  Bethel ;  and 


CHAP.  XII.  3,  4,  5.     COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  429 

there  he  spake,  or  (that  the  same  strain  may  be  continued) 
had  spoken  to  him. 

There  lie  had  spoken  loith  us.  Some  take  I^D^j  omnu,  for 
\l2i^j  omu,^  he  had  spoken  with  him;  and  they  do  this,  being 
forced  by  necessity ;  for  they  find  no  sense  in  the  Avords  that 
God  spake  with  us  in  Bethek  But  there  is  no  need  to  change 
the  words  contrary  to  rules  of  grammar.  Others  who  dare 
not  to  depart  from  the  words  of  the  Prophet,  imagine  a  sense 
Avholly  different.  Some  say,  "He  spake  with  us  there;" 
that  is,  "  The  Lord  speaks  by  me,  Hosea,  and  by  Amos,  Avho 
is  my  colleague  and  friend :  for  we  denounce  on  you,  by  his 
authority,  utter  ruin  and  destruction ;  and  God  has  made 
known  to  us  at  Bethel  whatever  we  bring  to  you."  But  how 
strained  is  this,  all  must  see :  this  is  to  wrest  Scripture,  and 
not  to  explain  it.  Others  also  speak  still  more  frigidly  : 
"  There  he  spake  with  us,"  as  though  the  angel  had  said, 
''  Wait,  the  Lord  will  speak  with  us  ;  I  have  called  thee, 
Israel,  but  the  Lord  will  at  length  come,  Avho  will  ratify  what 
I  now  say  to  thee  :"  as  if  he  was  not  indeed  the  eternal  God  ; 
but  this  he  immediately  expresses  when  he  says,  Jehovah  is  his 
memorial,  Jehovah  of  hosts.  But  thus  the  Jews  trifle,  who  are 
like  irrational  beings  whenever  there  is  a  reference  made  to 
Christ. 

There  does  not  seem,  however,  to  be  any  great  reason  why 
we  should  toil  much  about  the  Prophet's  words :  and  some 
even  of  the  Rabbins  (not  to  deprive  them  of  their  just  praise) 
have  observed  this  to  be  the  meaning,  That  the  Lord  had  so 
.spoken  with  Jacob,  that  what  he  said  belonged  to  the  whole 
people.  For  doubtless  w^iatever  God  then  promised  to  his 
servant  appertained  to  the  whole  body  of  the  people,  and  all 
his  posterity.  Why  then  do  interpreters  so  greatly  torment 
themselves,  when  it  is  evident  that  God  spake  through  the 
person  of  one  man  with  all  the  posterity  of  Abraham  ?  And 
this  agrees  best  with  the  context ;  for  the  Prophet  now  ap- 
plies, so  to  speak,  to  the  whole  people  what  he  had  hitherto 

•  This  is  an  instance  in  which  critics,  from  not  understanding  the  drift 
of  a  passage,  have  suggested  emendations,  Avhich  seem  plausible,  and  yet 
take  away  an  important  meaning,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  present  case, 
from  Calvin's  explanation.  Horsley  takes  the  same  view  with  Calvin, 
though  Newcomc  does  not. — Ed. 


430  THE  TWELVE  MINOK  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXII. 

recorded  of  the.  patriarch  Jacob.  That  they  niight  not  then 
think  that  the  history  of  one  man  was  related,  he  says  that  it 
belongs  to  all.  How  so  ?  Because  the  Lord  had  so  spoken 
with  holy  Jacob,  that  his  voice  ought  to  resound  in  the  ears 
of  all.  For  what  was  said  to  the  holy  man  ?  Did  God  only 
reveal  himself  to  him  ?  Did  he  promise  to  be  a  Father  only 
to  him?  Nay,  he  adopted  his  whole  seed,  and  extended  his 
favour  to  all  his  posterity.  Since  then  he  had  so  spoken  to 
all  the  Israelites,  they  ought  now  to  be  more  ashamed  of  their 
defection,  inasmuch  as  they  had  so  much  degenerated  from 
their  father,  with  whom  they  were  yet  connected.  For  there 
was  a  sacred  bond  of  unity  between  Jacob  and  his  children, 
since  God  embraced  them  all  in  his  love,  and  favoured  them 
all  with  his  adoption.  We  now  perceive  the  mind  of  the 
Prophet.     Let  us  proceed — 

6.  Therefore  tum  thou  to  thy  God :  6.  Et  tu  ad  Deum  timm  couvcr- 
keep  mercy  and  judgment,  and  wait  tere  ;  lionitatem  et  judicium  cus- 
on  thy  God  continually.  todi ;  et  spera  in  Deo  tuo  semper. 

7.  He  is  a  merchant,  the  balances  7.  Chanaan  !  in  manu  ejus  sta- 
of  deceit  are  in  his  hand  :  he  loveth  tera  fraudis  (vel^  dolosa ;)  praedari 
to  oppress.  diligit. 

The  Prophet  is  now  here  urgent  on  the  people.  Having 
referred  to  the  example  of  the  patriarch,  he  shows  how  un- 
like him  were  his  posterity,  with  whom  God  could  avail 
nothing  by  sound  teaching,  though  he  was  constantly  solici- 
tous for  their  salvation,  and  stirred  up  his  Prophets  to  bring 
back  the  lost  and  scattered  to  the  way  of  safety.  Since  then 
it  was  so,  the  Prophet  accuses  them  of  ingratitude.  But  he 
speaks  first  of  repentance  ;  and  then  he  shows  that  he  and 
other  ministers  of  God  had  laboured  in  vain;  for  such  was  the 
perversity  of  the  people,  that  teaching  had  no  effect.  His 
sermon  is  short,  but  yet  it  contains  much. 

Turn,  he  says,  to  thy  God.  He  glances  here  at  the  apos- 
tacy  of  the  people,  by  bidding  them  to  turn  to  their  God, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  condemns  Mhatever  the  Israelites  were 
wont  to  set  up  as  a  defence,  when  the  Pro^jhets  reproved 
them.  For  they  wished  their  own  fictitious  modes  of  worship 
to  come  in  as  a  reason ;  they  wished  the  gods  devised  by 
themselves  to  occupy  the  place  of  the  true  God.     The  Pro- 


CHAP.  XII.  6,  7.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  431 

pliet  cuts  off  the  handle  from  subterfuges  cf  this  kinJ  by  com- 
manding the  people  to  turn  to  their  God.  "  Why,"  he  says, 
"  you  do  indeed  worship  gods,  and  greatly  weary  yourselves  in 
your  superstitious  ;  but  confess  that  you  are  apostates,  who 
have  rejected  the  law  delivered  to  you  by  the  true  God.  Re- 
titrn,  then,  to  your  Godr  And  he  calls  God  the  God  of  Israel, 
not  to  honour  them,  but  to  reproach  them,  because  they  had 
willingly  and  designedly  cast  off  the  worship  of  the  true  God, 
who  had  made  himself  known  to  them. 

There  is  afterwards  shown  the  true  way  of  repentance. 
The  beginning  of  the  verse,  as  I  have  already  said,  requires 
the  people  to  repent ;  but  as  we  know  that  men  trifle  with 
God  when  they  are  called  to  repentance,  it  is  not  in  vain  that 
a  definitive,  or,  at  least,  a  short  description  of  repentance,  is 
added,  by  which  is  made  evident  what  it  is  to  repent,  or  to 
turn  to  God.  Then  the  Pi'ophet  says, — Keep  mercy,  or  kind- 
ness, and  judgment.  He  begins  with  the  second  table,  and 
then  he  adds  piety  towards  God.  But  he  lays  down  two 
things  only,  in  which  he  included  the  whole  teaching  of  the 
second  table.  For  what  is  God's  design,  from  the  fifth  to 
the  last  commandment,  but  to  teach  us  to  shape  our  life  ac- 
cording to  the  rule  of  love  ?  We  are  then  taught  in  the 
second  table  of  the  law  how  we  ought  to  act  towards  our 
brethren  ;  or  if  one  wishes  to  have  a  shorter  summary,  in  the 
second  table  of  the  law  are  shown  the  mutual  duties  of  men. 
But  the  Prophet  begins  here  with  the  second  part  of  the  law ; 
for  the  Prophets  are  not  Avont  strictly  to  observe  order,  nor 
do  they  always  observe  a  regular  method ;  but  it  is  enough 
with  them  to  mention  the  main  things  by  which  they  explain 
their  subject ;  and  hence,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Prophet 
here,  according  to  his  usual  manner,  mentions  love  in  the  first 
place,  and  then  goes  on  to  the  worship  of  God.  This  order, 
as  I  have  said,  is  not  indeed  either  natural  or  legitimate  ;  but 
this  is  of  no  importance ;  nay,  it  was  not  without  the  best 
reason  that  the  Prophets  usually  did  this ;  for  repentance  is 
better  tested  by  the  observance  of  the  second  table,  than  by 
that  of  divine  Avoi'ship.  For  as  hypocrites  dissemble,  and 
hide  themselves  with  wonderful  coverings,  the  Lord  applies 
a  touchstone,  and  this  he  does  whenever  he  draws  them  to 


432  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.    LEGT.  XXXII. 

the  light,  and  exposes  to  public  view  their  frauds,  robberies, 
cruelty,  perjuries,  thefts,  and  such  like  vices.  Since,  then, 
hypocrites  can  be  better  convicted  by  the  second  table  of  the 
law,  the  Lord  rightly  appeals  to  this  wdien  he  speaks  of  re- 
pentance ;  as  though  he  said,  "  Let  it  now  be  made  evident 
what  your  repentance  is,  whether  it  be  feigned  or  sincere  ; 
for  if  you  act  justly  and  uprightly  towards  your  neighbours, 
if  you  observe  equity  and  rectitude,  it  is  a  sure  evidence  of 
your  repentance." 

At  the  same  time,  the  Prophet  overlooks  not  the  Avorship 
of  God  ;  for  he  adds, — Hope  always  in  thy  God.  By  the 
word,  hope,  he  first  requires  faith,  and  then  prayer,  which 
arises  from  it,  and  thanksgiving,  which  necessarily  follows. 
Thus  the  whole  worship  of  God  is  briefly  included,  as  a  part 
for  the  whole,  in  the  word,  hoi)e.  The  meaning  of  the  Pro- 
phet then  is,  that  Israel,  forsaking  their  own  superstitions, 
should  recumb  on  the  one  true  God,  and  place  all  their  sal- 
vation on  him,  that  they  should  fly  to  him,  and  ascribe  to  him 
alone  the  praise  due  for  all  blessings.  By  so  doing,  they 
would  restore  the  pure  Avorship  of  God,  and  cast  away  all 
their  adulterous  superstitions.  He  had  spoken  already  of  the 
spcond  table  of  the  law. 
./  We  hence  see  that  repentance  is  nothing  else  but  a  refor- 
mation of  the  whole  life  according  to  the  law  of  God.  For 
God  has  explained  his  will  in  his  law ;  and  as  much  as  we 
depart  or  deviate  from  it,  so  much  we  depart  from  the  Lord. 
But  Avhen  Ave  turn  to  God,  the  true  proof  is,  Avhen  we  amend 
our  life  according  to  his  laAv,  and  begin  Avith  Avorshipping  him 
spiritually,  the  main  part  of  AA'hich  Avorship  is  faith,  from 
Avhich  proceeds  prayer ;  and  Avhen,  in  addition  to  this,  we  act 
kindly  and  justly  towards  our  neighbours,  and  abstain  from 
all  injuries,  frauds,  robberies,  and  all  kinds  of  Avickedness. 
This  is  the  true  evidence  of  repentance.    ' 

But  Avhile  the  Prophet  exhorted  the  Israelites  to  repent- 
ance, he  adds,  that  such  Avas  their  perverseness,  that  it  Avas 
done  without  any  fruit.  Canaan  !  he  says  ;  I  read  this  by 
itself;  for  Avhat  some  consider  to  be  understood  is  frigid,  as, 
^'  He  was  assimilated  to,  or  Avas  like  Canaan,  in  Avhose  hand," 
&c.     But,  on  the  contrary,  the  Prophet  here  condemns  the 


CHAP.  XII.  6,  7.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  -  433 

Israelites  by  one  word ;  as  though  he  said,  that  they  were 
wholly  aliens,  and  unworthy  to  be  called  the  children  of 
Abraham.  And  thus  what  we  say  is  often  abrupt,  when  we 
speak  indignantly.  The  Prophet  then  calls  them  "  Canaan" 
through  indignation  ;  which  means  this,  "  Ye  are  not  the 
children  of  Abraham ;  ye  falsely  boast  of  his  name,  which  can- 
not be  suitable  to  you ;  for  ye  are  Canaan." 

He  afterwards  adds.  In  his  hand  is  the  balance  of  fraud,  he 
loves  to  plunder,  or  to  spoil.  Literally  it  is,  he  loves  to  spoil. 
But  the  sense  is  clear,  that  they  loved  to  plunder ;  that  is, 
they  were  carried  away  with  all  greediness  to  acts  of  robbery. 
It  must  first  be  noticed,  that  the  Prophet  here  exposes  to  in- 
famy the  carnal  descendants  of  Abraham  by  calling  them 
Canaan,  and  this  imputation  is  often  to  be  met  with  in  the 
Prophets.  And  the  reason  why  they  were  thus  addressed 
was,  that  these  senseless  men  were  wont  proudly  to  set  up  as 
their  shield  the  distinction  of  their  race.  "  What !  Ave  are  a 
holy  people."  Since  by  this  pretence  they  rejected  all  the 
warnings  of  the  Prophets,  God  casts  back  this  reproach,  "  Ye 
are  not  the  children  of  Abraham  ;  but  ye  are  Canaan  : "  as 
though  he  said,  "  Nothing  in  that  nation  has  as  yet  changed, 
the  Israelites  are  always  like  themselves."  The  Lord  had 
once  cleansed  the  land  of  godless  men  :  but  when  the  descend- 
ants of  Abraham  became  like  the  Canaanites,  they  were  called 
the  seed  of  Canaan ;  as  though  the  same  nation,  which  was 
there  formerly,  had  still  remained ;  for  there  was  no  difference 
in  their  manners,  for  they  were  equal  or  the  same  in  de- 
pravity. 

But  the  reason  follows  why  he  calls  them  the  race  of 
Canaan,  even  because  they  carried  in  their  hand  a  deceitful 
balance,  and  devoted  themselves  Avith  all  avidity  to  plunder. 
The  deceitful  balance  may  be  extended  to  their  dissimulations, 
fallacies,  and  falsehoods,  by  which  God,  as  he  had  before  com- 
plained, was  surrounded ;  but  as  it  immediately  follows.  He 
loves  robberies,  I  prefer  to  understand  here  those  two  modes  of 
doing  injury  which  include  almost  every  kind  of  wickedness ; 
for  men  either  craftily  defraud  when  they  injure  others,  or 
they  do  harm  to  their  neighbours  by  open  force.  Since,  then, 
they  who  wrong  their  neighbours  do  either  openly  injure 
VOL.  I.  2  E 


434  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXllI. 

them,  or  circumvent  the  simple  by  their  frauds  and  crafty 
dealings,  Hosea  lays  down  here,  in  the  first  place,  the  deceit- 
ful balance,  and  then  he  adds  their  greediness  in  spoiling  or 
plundering.  It  is  then  the  same  as  if  he  had  said,  that  they 
Avere  fraudulent,  arid  that  they  Avere  also  robbers,  who  pro- 
ceeded with  open  violence.  He  means  that  they  were,  with- 
out law  or  any  restraint,  addicted  to  acts  of  wrong  and  injus- 
tice, and  were  so  intent  on  doing  mischief,  as  to  do  it  either 
by  craft  or  by  open  force.  There  is  then  no  wonder  that  they 
were  called  an  uncircumcised  race.  Why  ?  Because  they 
had  nothing  to  do  with  God,  inasmuch  as  they  had  thus  de- 
parted from  his  law ;  yea,  they  abhorred  kindness  and  mercy. 
It  also  follows  that  they  were  void  of  all  piety,  since  they 
were  thus  unmindful  of  all  equity  towards  their  neighbours. 
This  is  the  meaning. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  appearest  not  now  to  us  in 
shadows  and  types,  as  fonnerly  to  the  holy  fathers,  but  clearly 
and  plainly  in  thy  only-begotten  Son, — O  grant,  that  we  may 
be  wholly  given  to  the  contemplation  of  thine  image,  which 
thus  shines  before  us  ;  and  that  we  may  in  such  a  manner  be 
transformed  into  it,  as  to  make  increasing  advances,  until  at 
length,  having  put  off  all  the  filth  of  our  flesh,  we  be  fully  con- 
formed to  that  pure  and  perfect  holiness  which  dwells  in  Christ, 
as  in  him  dwells  the  fulness  of  all  blessings,  and  thus  obtain  at 
last  a  participation  of  that  glory  which  om*  Lord  hath  procured 
for  us  by  his  resm'rection.     Amen. 


8.  AndEphraimsaid,  Yetlambe-  8.   Et  dixit  Ephraim,  Attamen 

come  rich,  I  have  found  me  out  sub-  ditatus  sum  ;  inveni  opes  mihi :  in 

stance  :  in  all  my  labom's  they  shall  omnibus  laboribus  meis  non  inve- 

find  none  iniquity  in  me  that  were  nient  mihi  iniquitatem,  quia  scelus 

sin.  (vel,  piaculum.) 

Here  God  complains  by  his  Prophet,  that  the  Israelites 
flattered  themselves  in  their  vices,  because  their  affairs  suc- 
ceeded prosperously  and  according  to  their  wishes  :  and  it  is 
a  vice  too  common,  that  men  felicitate  themselves  as  long  as 


CHAP.  Xll.  8.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  435 

fortune,  as  they  commonly  say,  smiles  on  them,  thinking  that 
they  have  God  then  propitious  to  them.  Since  then  the  con- 
dition of  the  people  was  such,  they  despised  all  the  Prophets 
and  their  reproofs.  Of  this  hardihood  the  Lord  now  com- 
plains. Ephraim  has  said,  I  am  yet  become  rich.  There  is  an 
emphasis  to  be  noticed  in  the  adversative  particle  1.^,  ac.  It 
is  sometimes  in  Hebrew  a  simple  affirmative ;  but  here  the 
Prophet  meant  to  express  another  thing,  even  this,  that  the 
Israelites  laughed  at  all  reproofs,  because  God  seemed  to  be 
propitious  to  them,  as  though  he  manifested  his  favour  by 
prosperity.  ^^  I  am,  however,  become  rich;  and  therefore  I  care 
nothing  for  what  the  Prophets  may  say,  for  I  am  contented 
with  my  lot."  This,  as  I  have  said,  is  a  common  evil ;  and 
hence  this  passage  ought  to  be  carefully  noted,  lest  when  the 
Lord  spares  us  for  a  time,  we  may  think  that  we  are  innocent 
before  him ;  for  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  feared  than  the 
dazzling  of  our  eyes  by  a  prosperous  and  desirable  state  of 
things.  Though  the  Lord  then  may  bear  with  us,  and  not 
immediately  draw  forth  his  vengeance  against  us,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  cherish  us  as  it  were  kindly  in  his  bosom ;  yet  if  he 
reproves  us  by  his  word,  we  ought  to  attend  to  his  threat- 


enings. 


But  they  further  add.  All  my  labours  shall  not  find  iniquity, 
or,  they  shall  not  find  iniquity  in  all  my  labours.    Many  read 
simply  as  the  words  are,  "  My  labours  shall  not  find  iniquity :" 
but  as  the  expression  seems  stiff,  I  have  tried  to  render  it 
smoother,  as  others  also  have  done,  "  They  shall  not  find  ini-i 
quity  in  all  my  labours."    This  boasting  went  farther,  for  the 
Prophet  shows  that  the  people  were  not  only  secui-e,  because 
the  Lord  gave  them  some  tokens  of  his  paternal  favour  ;  but 
that  they  were  also  inebriated  with  this  impious  confidence, 
that  God  would  not  have  favoured  them  had  they  not  been 
exempt  from  every  fault  and  vice  :  and  this  second  clause 
ought  to  be  carefully  noticed.     Now  it  is  a  depravity  that  is 
by  no  means  to  be  endured,  when  men  begin  to  despise  God, 
because  he  deals  kindly  with  them,  and  when  they  abuse  his 
lenity  so  as  to  contemn  all  his  teaching  and  all  his  threaten- 
ings  ;  this  is  indeed  a  very  great  perversion  :  but  when  to  all 
this  is  added  such  a  pride,  that  ungodly  and  reprobate  men 


436  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIII. 

persuade  themselves  that  they  are  just,  because  God  does  not 
immediately  punish  them, — this  is,  as  it  were,  a  diabolical 
madness ;  and  yet  we  see  that  it  is  a  common  thing.  For 
godless  men  are  not  only  proud  of  their  wealth,  they  are  not 
only  inflated  with  their  own  power ;  but  they  also  think  that 
God  is  in  some  way  under  obligations  to  them.  "  Why  !  it 
must  be  that  God  regards  me  innocent,  and  pure  from  every 
vice,  for  he  favours  me :  he  then  does  not  find  in  me  what  is 
worthy  of  punishment."  Thus  the  wicked  raise  up  their  horns 
against  God,  while  he  indulges  them,  and  appears  not  so  se- 
vere towards  them  as  they  have  deserved. 

When  at  the  present  day  we  perceive  these  evils  prevailing 
among  the  greater  portion  of  mankind,  there  is  no  reason  to 
feel  astonished  :  but  we  ought  at  the  same  time  to  profit  by 
the  instruction  of  the  Prophet,  so  that  we  may  not  be  blinded 
by  prosperity,  and  despise  reproofs,  and  flatter  ourselves  in 
our  sin ;  and  also,  that  we  may  not  accumulate  for  ourselves 
a  store  of  God's  wrath,  when  he  deals  kindly  with  us.  Let 
us  not  then  abuse  his  forbearance  ;  let  us  not  think  that  we 
are  innocent  before  him,  because  he  does  not  immediately 
execute  his  judgments ;  but  let  us  rather  learn  to  make  a 
scrutiny  of  ourselves,  and  to  shake  off"  our  vices,  so  that  we 
may  humble  ourselves  under  his  hand,  though  he  restrains 
himself  from  inflicting  punishment.  This  is  the  application 
of  the  present  doctrine. 

But  we  must  notice  what  the  Prophet  adds.  They  shall  not 
find  iniquity  in  my  labours;  that  is,  iniquity  shall  not  be  found 
in  my  labours,  because  this  is  wickedness  or  a  crime  requiring 
expiation.  I  wonder  that  interpreters  explain  this  place  so 
frigidly  ;  for  they  say,  that  there  shall  not  be  found  in  my 
labours  iniquity  or  sin.  But  the  Prophet  does  not  set  down 
a  copulative,  but  uses  the  particle  "l^J^i^,  asher,  which  is  to  be 
taken  here  exegetically.  And  the  meaning  is,  that  hypocrites, 
while  they  claim  to  themselves  the  praise  of  innocence,  for  the 
sake  of  dissembling,  detest  ostensibly  every  wickedness  and 
crime.  "Iniquity  shall  not  be  found  in  my  labours,  for  this 
is  wickedness  ;  far  be  it  that  I  should  be  discovered  to  be  a 
wicked  person  in  my  doings ;  for  1  am  without  fraud  in  all 
my  dealings."     But  is  this  the  case  ?     By  no  means  ;  but  as 


CHAP.  XII.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  437 

they  judge  of  God's  favour  by  prosperous  fortune,  they  think 
that  God  would  not  be  so  kind  to  them  unless  he  regarded 
them  as  just  and  pure.  Hence  we  see  how  securely  hypo- 
crites mock  God,  when  they  begin  to  despise  his  teaching  and 
Avarnings.  We  need  not  then  wonder  that  at  this  day  so 
much  perverseness  prevails  everywhere  in  the  world.  But 
let  us  also  use  this  mode  of  teaching  which  the  Prophet  sets 
before  us.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

9.  And  I  that  am  the  Lord  thy  God  9.  Ego   autem  Jehova  Dens 

from    the  land  of   Egypt,   will    yet  tuus  a  terra  iEgypti :  habitare 

make  thee  to  dwell  in  tabernacles,  as  in  te  faciam  in  tabernaculis,  sicut 

the  days  of  the  solemn  feasts.  diebus  conventus. 

In  the  first  clause  God  reproaches  the  Israelites  for  having 
forgotten  the  benefit  of  his  redemption,  the  memory  of  which 
ought  ever  to  have  prevailed  and  flourished  among  them.  / 
'ijet,  he  says,  am  thy  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt ;  that  is,  "  It  is 
strange  that  you  are  so  forgetful  that  your  redemption  does 
not  come  to  your  mind,  which  yet  ought  to  be  well  known, 
and  be  ever,  as  it  were,  before  your  eyes."  That  was,  as  we 
know,  a  memorable  instance  of  God's  kindness.  But  when 
he  says  that  he  is  the  God  of  that  people  from  the  land  of 
Egypt,  he  points  out  the  end  of  redemption,  as  though  he 
said,  "  I  redeemed  thee  for  this  end,  that  thou  mightest  be 
forever  bound  to  me."  For  we  know  that  when  he  delivered 
that  people  from  their  ci'uel  tyranny,  he  at  the  same  time  ac- 
quired for  himself  an  eternal  kingdom  ;  he  was  then  sancti- 
fied in  his  elect  people.  The  end  of  redemption  is  then  to  be 
observed  in  the  words  of  the  Prophet,  "  I  am,"  he  says,  "  thy 
God  from  the  land  of  Egypt ;  how  otherwise  couldest  thou 
have  come  forth  from  thy  grave  ?"  For  they  were  like  the 
dead,  when  God  stretched  out  his  hand  to  them.  From  the 
land  of  Egypt  then  I  am  thy  God,  which  means  this — "  Since 
thou  hast  been  so  wonderfully  restored  from  death  to  life  by 
my  favour,  am  not  I  thy  God  from  that  day  ?  Thou  owest 
then  thyself  and  all  thine  to  me  ;  for  I  purchased  thee  for 
myself  as  a  peculiar  possession.  When  now  thou  darest 
petulantly  to  reject  my  Prophets,  who  speak  in  my  name,  it 
is  surely  an  ingratitude  not  to  be  endured,  that  thou  forgettest 


438  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.   LECT.  XXXIII. 

thy  redemption,  and  the  end  for  which  I  made  known  to  thee 
my  power  and  grace." 

But  as  to  the  second  clause,  interpreters  vary  ;  some 
explain  it  in  this  way,  that  God  would  not  cease  to  show 
mercy  to  the  Israelites,  however  unworthy  they  Avere,  Itvill 
make  thee  to  dioell  in  thy  tabernacles ;  and  they  take  taber- 
nacles, not  strictly  jjroper,  for  houses.  Then  they  say,  ac- 
cording to  the  days  of  Meed,  that  is,  of  ancient  agreement,  or, 
according  to  appointed  days  ;  for  God  had  promised  to  give 
the  land  of  Canaan  to  the  posterity  of  Abraham  for  their 
perpetual  rest.  But  this  exposition  seems  not  suitable. 
Others  say,  that  the  Israelites  are  here  reproved,  because 
they  neglected  the  command  of  God,  who  had  instituted  a 
festal-day,  on  which  they  were  to  commemorate  yearly  their 
redemption.  We  indeed  know  that  there  was  the  annual 
feast  of  tabernacles  :  so  they  think  the  meaning  of  the  Pro- 
phet to  be  this,  "  I  not  only  once  redeemed  thee,  but  I  also 
wished  that  there  should  be  a  memorial  of  this  favour ;  and 
for  what  purpose  have  I  commanded  you  to  keep  an  yearly 
festival,  except  that  ye  might  retain  in  your  memory  what 
otherwise  might  have  been  forgotten  ?  But  I  have  effected 
nothing  by  this  rite,  for  I  am  now  rejected,  and  my  prophets 
possess  no  authority  among  you."  But  this  sense  also  is 
frigid.  Some  think  that  the  Prophet  here  threatens  the 
Israelites,  as  though  he  said,  "  God  will  again  drive  you  out, 
that  you  may  dwell  in  tents  as  you  did  formerly  in  the 
desert."  Though  I  do  not  reject  this  opinion,  yet  I  think 
there  is  something  more  emphatical  in  the  Prophet's  words, 
that  is,  that  God  here  says  in  an  indirect  way,  that  there 
was  need  of  a  new  redemption,  that  he  might  bind  the  people 
more  to  himself;  as  though  he  said,  "  I  see  that  you  are  un- 
mindful of  my  former  redemption  ;  for  I  see  that  you  esteem 
it  as  nothing,  as  if  it  were  obsolete  ;  I  must  then  lose  all  my 
labour,  except  the  memory  of  my  ancient  favour  be  renewed  : 
I  will  therefore  make  thee  to  dwell  again  in  tents.  It 
is  necessary  to  eject  thee  again  from  thy  heritage,  and  to 
restore  thee  again,  and  that  in  a  manner  unusual  and  least 
expected,  that  thou  mayest  understand  that  I  am  thy 
Kedeemer.' 


CHAP.  XII.  10.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  ROSEA.  439 

We  now  then  apprehend  what  the  Prophet  meant.    After 
God  had  said  that  he  was  the  God  of  Israel  from  the  land  of 
Egypt,  he  then  adds,  "  Inasmuch  as  your  former  redemption 
has  lost  all  its  influence  through  your  wicked  forget  fulness,  I 
will  become  again  your  Redeemer ;  I  will  therefore  make  thee 
to  abide  or  dwell  in  tents  as  formerly ;  as  your  first  redemp- 
tion avails  nothing,  I  will  add  a  second,  that  you  may  at  length 
repent,  and  know  how  much  you  are  indebted  to  me."      The 
days  of  Moed  he  takes  for  their  manner  of  proceeding  in  the 
desert  as  described  by  Moses  ;  for  they  assembled  together 
for  sacrifices  from  their  camps.     Hence  God  does  not  speak 
here  of  the  convention  he  had  made  with  his  people,  as  if  he 
pointed  out  some  perpetual  compact ;  but  he  calls  those  the 
days  of  Moed  on  which  the  Israelites  were  assembled,  when 
tliey  were  located  in  their  camps  according  to  the  account 
given  by  Moses.     It  now  follows — 

10.  I  have  also  spoken  by  the        10.  Et  locutus  sum  super  Prophe- 

Prophets,  and  I  have  multiplied  tas,  et  ego  visionem  multiplicavi,  et 

visions,  and  used  similitudes,  by  in  manu  Prophetarum  assimilavi  (yel^ 

the  ministry  of  the  Prophets.  similitudiues  posui.) 

The  Prophet  amplifies  the  sin   of  the  people  in  having 
always  obstinately  opposed  God,  so  that  they  were  without 
any  pretext  of  ignorance  :  for  men,  we  know,  evade  God's 
dreadful  judgment  as  long  as  they  can  plead  either  ignorance 
or  thoughtlessness.     The  Prophet  denies  that  the  people  had 
fallen  through  want  of  information,  for  they  had  been  often, 
nay,  continually  warned  by  the  Prophets.     It  then  appears 
that  this  people  were  become,  as  it  were,  wilfully  rebellious 
against  God ;  for  they  had  ever  despised  the  Prophets,  not 
once  or  twice,  but  when  the  Lord  sent  them  in  succession  : 
/  have  sjwken,  he  says,  upon  my  Prophets^  or,  by  my  Prophets  ; 
for  7j^,  o/,  is  variously  taken :  '  I  have  spoken  upon  my  Pro- 
phets,' that  is,  I  have  deposited  Avith  them  the  doctrine  which 
ought  to  have  restored  you  to  the  right  way  ;  and  not  only 
so,  but  /  have  midtiplied  visions ;  it  has  not  been  in  one  way 
that  I  have  tried  to  gather  you,   but  I  have  accumulated 
many  visions  :  and  then  he  says.  In  the  hand  of  Prophets  I 
have  placed  similitudes ;  that  is,  I  have  endeavoured  in  every 
way  possible  to  restore  you  to  a  sound  mind  ;  for  God  speaks 


440  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.   LECT.  XXXIII. 

after  the  manner  of  men.  lie  might  indeed,  if  he  chose,  effect 
tliis  by  the  secret  movement  of  his  Spirit ;  but  it  is  enough 
to  take  away  every  excuse  from  men  to  allege  the  fact,  that 
they  obey  not  the  word,  and  offer  not  themselves  to  God  as 
submissive  and  teachable,  when  he  by  his  Prophets  exhorts  them 
to  repentance.  It  is  then  an  enhancing  of  sin  worthy  of  being 
noticed,  when  God  remonstrates,  and  says,  that  he  had  use- 
lessly spent  all  his  efforts  to  collect  the  dispersed  Israel, 
though  he  had  constantly  employed  the  labours  of  his  Pro- 
phets. 

But  this  reproach  may  be  also  applied  to  us  at  this  day ; 
yea,  whatever  the  Prophet  has  hitherto  said  may  justly  be 
turned  against  us.     For  we  see  how  the  world  hardens  itself 
against  all  warnings ;  and  we  see  also  how  long  the  Lord 
suspends  his  judgments,  and  tolerates  men  who  scoff  at  his 
forbearance.      Then  the  same  depravity  rages  now  in  the 
world,  which  the  Prophet  describes  in  this  place.     Besides, 
God  has  not  only  redeemed  us  from  Egypt,  but  from  the 
lowest  hell,  and  we  know  that  we  have  been  redeemed  by 
Christ  for  this  end, — that  we  may  be  wholly  devoted  to  God  ; 
for  Christ  died  and  rose  again  for  this  purpose, — that  he 
might  be  the  Lord  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead.     But  we  see 
how  much  is  the  perverseness  of  men,  and  how  with  impunity 
they  grow  wanton  against  God.     Who  among  us  remember 
that  they  are  no  longer  their  own,  because  they  have  been 
purchased  by  the  blood  of  Christ  ?     Few  think  of  this.     And 
not  only  this  only  true  and  perpetual  redemption  ought  to  be 
kept  in  mind  by  us ;  for  the  Lord  again  redeemed  us  when 
we  were  sunk  in  the  gulf  of  Popery ;  and  daily  also  does  he 
renew  the  same  kindness  towards  us  ;  and  yet  we  are  so  for- 
getful, that  often  the  grace  of  God  is  not  remembered  by  us. 
We  now  see  how  necessary  is  this  doctrine  even  for  our  age. 
Besides,  God,  as  I  have  already  said,  ceases  not  daily  to 
stimulate  and  urge  us  ;  he  multiplies  prophecies  and  simili- 
tudes ;  that  is,  he  in  various  ways  accommodates  himself  to 
us  ;  for  by  similitudes  he  means  all  forms  of  teaching.     And 
doubtless  we  see  that  God  in  a  manner  transforms  himself  iu 
his  word,  for  he  speaks  not  according  to  his  own  majesty,  but 
as  he  sees  to  be  suitable  to  our  capacities  and  weakness ;  for 


CHAP.  XII.  11.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  441 

the  Scriptures  set  before  us  various  representations,  which 
show  to  us  the  face  of  God.  Since  God  then  thus  accommo- 
dates himself  to  our  rudeness,  how  great  is  our  ingratitude, 
when  no  fruit  follows  ?  Let  us  then  remember  that  the 
Prophet  so  reproved  the  men  of  his  age,  that  he  also  speaks 
to  us  at  this  day.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

11.  /s  there  iniquity  in  11.  An  inGileadiniquitas?  (ijeZ,  an  Gilead 

Gilead?     Siu-ely  they  are  coepit  peccare?)  certe  vanitas  {yel,  menda- 

vanity :  tliey  sacrifice  bul-  cium)  fiienuit  in  Gilgal  (alii  disjungunt  istud 

locks  in  Gilgal;  yea,  their  'pj'pjp,  ut  contexant  cum  sequoitibus)  boves 

altars  are  as  heaps  in  the  sacrificaruut,     etiam     altaria    eorum    sicut 

furrows  of  the  field.  acervi  super  sulcos  agi'orum. 

It  is  an  ironical  question,  when  the  Prophet  says.  Is  there 
Iniquity  in  Gilead'?  and  he  laughs  to  scorn  their  madness  who 
delighted  themselves  in  vices  so  gross,  when  their  worship 
was   wholly  spurious  and  degenerated.     When  they  knew 
that  they  were  perfidious  towards  God,  and  followed  a  wor- 
ship alienated  from  his  law,  they  yet  were  so  perverse,  that 
they  proudly  refused  all  admonitions.     Since  then  they  were 
blinded  in  their  vices,  the  Prophet  asks  them  ironically,  Is 
there  iniquity  in  Gilead  ?     They  are  as  yet  doubtful,  forsooth, 
whether  they  are  guilty  before  God,  whether  they  bear  any 
blame.     Surely,  he  says,  they  are  vanity ;  that  is,  "  How  much 
soever  they  may  seek  specious  pretences  for  themselves,  and 
deny  that  they  are  conscious  of  doing  wrong,  and  also  intro- 
duce many  reasons  for  doubt,  that  they  may  not  be  forced  to 
own  their  sin,  they  yet,  he  says,  are  guilty  of  falsehood  ;  all 
their  glosses  contain  nothing  solid,  but  they  are  mere  dis- 
guises,  which  avail  nothing  before   God."     We  now  then 
apprehend  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

But  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  also  condemns  here  their 
perverted  worship,  by  which  the  Israelites  at  the  same  time 
thought  that  they  rendered  the  best  service  to  God.  But 
obedience,  we  know,  is  better  than  all  sacrifices.  The  Pro- 
phet then  inveighs  here  against  all  fictitious  modes  of  wor- 
ship, devised  without  and  against  the  authority  of  God's  law. 
But  at  the  same  time,  as  we  have  just  hinted,  he  indirectly 
exposes  their  thoughtlessness  for  imagining  themselves  ex- 
cusable, provided  they  set  up  their  own  good  intention,  as  it 


442  THE  T^YELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIII. 

is  commonly  done,  and  say,  that  they  built  altars  -with  no 
other  design  than  to  make  known  everywhere  the  name  of 
God,  to  preserve  among  themselves  some  tokens  of  religion. 
Since,  then,  they  thus  raised  up  a  cloud  of  smoke  to  cover 
their  impiety,  the  Prophet  says,  "  They  indeed  still  inquire, 
as  of  a  doubtful  thing,  whether  there  is  iniquity  in  Gilead  ; 
let  them  inquire  and  dispute ;  surely,"  he  says,  "  they  are 
vain  ;"  literally,  surely  they  have  been  falsehood :  but  he  means 
that  they  foolishly  brought  forward  those  frivolous  excuses, 
by  which  they  tried  to  escape  the  crime  and  its  punishment. 
How  was  it  that  they  were  vain  ?  Because  God  values  his 
own  law  more  than  all  the  glosses  of  men,  and  he  will  have 
all  men  to  obey,  without  dispute,  his  own  word :  but  when 
they  thus  licentiously  depart  from  his  commandments,  it  is 
what  he  cannot  endure.  They  are  then  false  and  deceive 
themselves,  who  think  that  their  own  inventions  are  of  any 
value  before  God.     He  then  lays  down  their  crime — 

In  Gilgal,  he  says,  have  they  sacrificed  oxen.  Jerome  trans- 
lates, "  They  sacrifice  to  oxen,"  and  thinks  that  the  Israelites 
are  reprehended  here  for  sacrificing  to  the  calves  :  but  this 
seems  too  remote  from  the  Avords  of  the  Prophet.  The  Pro- 
phet then  mentions  their  sin — that  they  sacrificed  oxen  and 
multiplied  altars.  And  yet  it  seemed  to  be  a  diligence  worthy 
of  praise,  that  they  increased  many  altars,  that  they  worshipped 
God  everywhere,  that  they  spared  neither  expense  nor  labour, 
that  they  were  not  content  with  few  sacrifices,  but  added  a 
great  number ; — all  this  seemed  to  deserve  no  common  praise  : 
but  the  Lord,  as  it  has  been  already  said,  valued  not  these  cor- 
rupt practices  ;  for  he  would  have  himself  to  be  alone  worship- 
ped by  his  people,  and  would  have  their  piety  to  be  attested  by 
this  single  evidence — their  obedience  to  his  word.  When  we 
then  turn  aside  from  God's  word,  nay,  when  we  with  loose  reins 
abandon  ourselves  to  new  inventions,  though  we  may  plausi- 
bly profess  that  our  object  is  to  worship  God,  yet  all  this  is 
a  vain  and  fallacious  pretence,  as  the  Prophet  here  declares. 

Jerome  is  mistaken  in  thinking  that  Gilgal  was  a  town  in 
the  tribe  of  Judah ;  and  the  supposition  cannot  suit  this 
place  :  for  Judah,  we  know,  was  then  free  from  those  gross 
pollutions  ;  Judah  Avas  not  as  yet  polluted  with  the  defile- 


CHAP.  XII.  12,  13.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  443 

ments  which  the  Prophet  here  condemns  in  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  It  is  then  certain,  that  Gilgal  was  a  town  of  Israel ; 
and  we  know  that  a  celebrated  temple  and  altar  were  there  : 
hence  he  especially  points  out  this  place. 

But  he  afterwards  adds,  Their  altars  are  as  heaps  on  the 
furrows  of  the  field.  There  was  then,  we  know,  only  one  le- 
gitimate altar ;  and  God  would  not  have  sacrifices  offered  to 
him,  except  in  one  place.  Hence  the  more  active  the  Israel- 
ites were  in  multiplying  altars,  the  more  they  provoked  the 
vengeance  of  God  :  how  much  soever  it  was  their  purpose  to 
worship  God,  yet  God  spurned  that  foolish  affectedness.  We 
then  see  why  the  Prophet  here  compares  the  altars  then 
erected  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel  to  heaps  of  stones ;  as 
though  he  said,  "  As  one  gathers  stones  into  a  heap,  when 
the  land  is  stony,  that  he  may  drive  his  plough  more  easily, 
so  every  one  forms  an  altar  for  himself,  as  though  he  were 
raising  up  a  hillock  in  his  own  field :  thus  it  comes,  that  they 
perversely  corrupt  the  pure  and  lawful  worship  which  I  have 
appointed."  We  now  then  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
Prophet  to  be,  that  superstitious  men  gain  nothing,  when 
they  boldly  and  openly  boast  that  they  worship  God ;  for 
whatever  disguise  they  may  invent  for  themselves  and  others, 
the  Lord  yet  abominates  every  thing  that  is  contrary  to  his 
word :  and  our  mode  of  worshipping  God  is  alone  true  and 
lawful,  when  we  only  follow  what  he  prescribes,  and  allow  to 
ourselves  nothing  but  what  is  according  to  his  command  and 
appointment.     This  is  the  meaning.     Let  us  proceed — 

12.  And  Jacob  fled  into  the  12.  Et  fugit  Jacob  in  agrum  Syriae,  et 
countryof  Syria,  and  Israel  served  servivit  Israel  in  uxors  {hoc  est^mo 
for  a  wife,  and  for  a  wife  he  kept  uxore,)  etpro  uxore  custodivit  {id  est, 
sheep.  custos  fuit  gi'egis.) 

13.  And  by  a  Prophet  the  13.  Et  per  Prophetam  eduxit  (as- 
Lord  brought  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  ceudere  fecit)  Jehova  Israelem  ex 
and  by  a  Prophet  was  he  pre-  ^gypto,  et  per  Prophetam  servatus 
served.  est. 

The  Prophet  now  employs  another  kind  of  reproof, — that 
the  Israelites  did  not  consider  from  what  source  they  had 
proceeded,  and  were  forgetful  of  their  origin.  And  the  Pro- 
phet designedly  touches  on  this  point;  for  we  know  how 
boldly  and  proudly  the  people  boasted  of  their  own  eminence. 


444  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXIII. 

For  as  a  lieathen  gloried  that  he  was  an  Athenian,  so  also 
the  Jews  think  that  all  we  are  brute  animals,  and  imagine 
that  they  have  a  different  origin  from  the  rest  of  mankind, 
because  they  are  the  posterity  of  Abraham.  Since  then  they 
were  blinded  by  such  a  pride  as  this,  God  meant  to  undeceive 
them,  as  he  does  here :  "  Jacob  your  father,  who  was  he  ? 
What  was  his  condition  ?  What  was  his  nobility  ?  What 
Avas  his  power  ?  What  was  his  dignity  and  eminence  accord- 
ing to  the  flesh  ?  Yea,  truly,  he  was  a  fugitive  from  his  own 
country :  had  he  always  lived  at  home,  his  father  was  but  a 
sojourner ;  but  he  was  constrained  to  flee  into  Syria.  And 
how  splendidly  did  he  live  there  ?  He  was  indeed  with  his 
uncle  ;  but  he  was  treated  no  better  than  if  he  had  been  some 
worthless  slave  :  He  served  for  a  wife.  And  how  did  he  serve  ? 
He  was  a  keeper  of  sheep.  Go  then  now  and  boast  of  your 
dignity,  as  if  ye  were  nobler  than  others,  as  if  your  condition 
Avere  better  than  that  of  the  common  sort  of  people."  God 
then  brings  against  them  the  condition  of  their  father,  in 
whose  name  they  gloried,  but  Avho  was  an  abject  person  and 
a  fugitive,  who  was  like  a  worthless  slave,  Avho  was  a  keeper 
of  sheep ;  Avho,  in  short,  had  nothing  which  could  be  deemed 
reputable  among  men. 

And  God,  he  says,  brought  you  up  hy  a  Prophet  from  Egyjit, 
and  by  a  Propliet  you  have  been  preserved.  This  was,  as  it 
were,  their  second  nativity.  Some  think  that  the  comparison 
is  between  their  first  origin  and  their  deliverance ;  as  though 
Hosea  had  said,  "  Though  you  were  born  of  a  very  poor  and 
ignoble  man,  yet  God  has  favoured  you  Avith  singular  privi- 
lege ;  for  he  gave  Moses  to  be  the  minister  of  your  liberation." 
But  in  my  judgment  the  Prophet  speaks  in  a  more  simple 
way ;  for,  first,  he  shoAvs  what  was  the  first  origin  of  the 
people,  that  they  Avere  from  Jacob ;  and  then  he  shows  Avhat  was 
their  second  origin  ;  for  God  had  again  begotten  them  when 
he  brought  them  out  of  Egypt.  And  they  Avere  there,  as  it 
is  well  known,  very  miserable,  and  they  did  not  come  out 
by  their  own  valour,  they  did  not  attain  for  themselves  their 
liberty ;  but  Moses  alone  extended  his  hand  to  them,  having 
been  sent  for  this  end  by  God.  Since  the  case  was  so,  it 
was  strange  that  they  now  provoked  God,  as  he  says  in  tlie 
last  verse,  by  their  altars. 


CHAP.  XII.  12,  13.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  445 

And  it  very  frequently  occurs  in  the  Prophets,  that  God 
reminds  the  Israelites  whence  or  from  what  source  they  had 
arisen,  "  Look  to  your  origin,  to  the  stone  from  which  ye 
were  cut  off;  for  Abraham  was  alone  and  childless,  and  his 
wife  also  was  barren ;"  and  yet  God  multiplied  their  race, 
(Isa.  li.  2.)  This  was  said,  because  the  Israelites  did  not  look 
to  God,  but  in  their  adversity  despaired,  when  no  way  ap- 
peared by  which  they  could  be  restored :  but  in  their  pro- 
sperity they  became  proud,  and  regarded  as  nothing  the  favour 
of  God.  We  then  see  what  the  Prophet  had  in  view.  The 
Lord  says,  "  Acknowledge  what  you  owe  to  me ;  for  I  have 
chosen  Jacob  your  father,  and  have  not  chosen  him  because 
he  was  eminent  for  his  great  dignity  in  the  world ;  for  he 
was  a  fugitive  and  a  keeper  of  sheep,  and  served  for  his  wife. 
I  afterwards  redeemed  you  from  the  land  of  Egypt ;  and  in 
that  coming  forth  there  Avas  nothing  that  you  did  ;  there  is 
no  reason  why  you  should  boast  that  that  liberation  was  ob- 
tained by  your  valour ;  for  Moses  alone  was  my  servant  in 
that  deliverance.  I  did  then  beget  you  the  second  time, 
when  I  redeemed  you.  How  great  is  your  ingratitude,  when 
you  do  not  OAvn  and  worship  me  as  yoiu'  Redeemer  ?"  We 
now  then  see  that  the  Prophet  thus  treated  the  peojile  of 
Israel,  that  it  might  in  every  way  appear  that  they  were  un- 
worthy of  so  many  and  so  great  benefits  bestowed  on  them 
by  God  ;  for  they  had  perverted  all  the  works  of  God,  and 
so  perverted  them,  that  they  did  not  think  that  any  thing 
belonged  to  him,  and  they  returned  no  thanks  to  God;  nay, 
they  extolled  themselves,  as  if  God  had  never  conferred  on 
them  any  kindness. 

But  I  will  not  dwell  on  the  history  of  Jacob,  for  it  is  not 
necessary  for  elucidating  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet,  and  it 
is  well  known  :  it  is  enough  to  refer  only  to  what  is  suitable 
to  this  place.  Jacob  ihenjled  into  the  country  of  Syria  ;  and 
then  he  says,  Israel  served  for  a  wife.  He  mentions  the  name, 
Israel,  after  Jacob.  The  name,  Israel,  was  noble  and  memor- 
able ;  yea,  it  was  given  by  God  to  the  holy  patriarch :  but 
at  the  same  time  Jacob  did  not  in  himself  or  in  his  ovvni  per- 
son excel ;  he  nevertheless  served,  and  was  in  a  most  humble 
condition,  and  he  served  for  a  wife ;  that  is,  that  he  might  have 


446  TUE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIII. 

a  wife ;  for  we  know  how  he  made  an  agreement  with  his 
uncle  Laban. 

Further,  By  a  Prophet  he  brought  them  out  of  Egypt. 
This  was  their  second  nativity  :  and  by  a  Prophet  Israel  was 
preserved.  There  is  an  allusion  here  to  the  word  ^iDK'j 
shvner ;  for  I  take  the  word  ^tJtJ' J?  nushb7ier,  passively.  He 
had  said  before,  that  Jacob  kept  sheep;  and  he  says  now, 
^f2^^7  nushimer,  kept  was  Israel  by  a  Prophet ;  as  though  he 
said,  "  Ye  now  see  that  God  has  given  you  a  reason  for  humi- 
lity in  your  father,  since  he  was  suffered  to  be  so  miserably 
distressed  ;  and  when  he  preserved  you  beyond  the  hope  of 
men,  and  by  no  human  means  except  by  Moses,  who  was 
also  a  fugitive,  and  who  came  forth  as  from  a  cave,  for  he  was 
also  a  keeper  of  sheep.  Since,  then,  ye  have  been  thus  kept 
by  the  favour  of  God,  how  comes  it  that  your  present  condi- 
tion fascinates  you,  and  that  ye  consider  not  that  you  were 
once  redeemed  by  the  Lord  for  this  end,  that  ye  might  be 
wholly  devoted  to  him  forever?"  Now  he  adds — (I  will 
also  run  over  this  verse,  for  there  will  be  no  lecture  to-mor- 
row, nor  the  day  after) — 

14.  Ephraini  provoked  him  to  14.  Provocavit  Eplu-aim  excelsis 
anger  most  bitterly :  therefore  shall  suis,  et  sanguis  ejus  super  eum 
he  leave  his  blood  upon  him,  and  his  mauebit  (vel,  fundetur :)  et  op- 
reproach  shall  his  Lord  return  unto  probrium  ejus  reddet  illi  Dominus 
him.  suus. 

The  Prophet  says  first,  that  Ephraim  had  provoked  God  by 
his  high  places.  Some,  however,  take  the  word  D'^^Tl^/t^Hj 
t2imQrurim,  for  bitternesses.  Then  it  is,  "  Israel  or  Ephraim 
have  provoked  God  to  bitterness."  But  since  this  word  in 
other  places,  as  in  the  thirty-first  of  Jeremiah,  is  taken  for 
high  places,  and  as  it  clearly  appears  that  the  Prophet  here 
inveighs  avowedly  against  Israel  and  their  vicious  worship,  I 
doubt  not  but  that  he  points  out  these  high  places  in  which 
the  Israelites  appointed  their  false  and  impious  modes  of  wor- 
ship.    Ephraim  then  have  provoked  him  with  their  high  places:  ^ 

'  Calvin  is  not  correct  as  to  the  meaning  of  this  word.  There  is  no 
instance  in  which  it  means  "  high  places;"  in  Jer.  xxxi.  21,  to  which 
reference  is  made,  it  means  obelisks  or  pillars  set  up  as  way- marks.  There 
is  no  doubt  but  that  the  word  signifies  here  what  is  expressed  in  our  ver- 


CllAP.  XII.  11.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  447 

Epliraim  having  in  so  many  ways  immersed  themselves  in 
their  superstitions,  provoked  God  in  their  high  places. 

Then  his  blood  shall  remain  on  him.  As  the  word  tJ^tSJ, 
nxxthash,  signifies  "  to  pour  out,"  and  signifies  also  to  "  re- 
main," some  render  it,  "His  blood  shall  remain;"  others, 
"  Shall  be  poured  upon  him."  But  this  makes  but  a  little  dif- 
ference as  to  what  is  meant ;  for  the  Prophet  intends  to  show, 
that  Ephraim  would  have  to  suffer  the  punishment  of  their 
impiety  ;  as  though  he  said,  "  They  shall  not  at  last  escape 
from  the  hand  of  God,  they  shall  receive  the  wages  of  their 
iniquities." 

And  his  reproach  shall  his  Lord  return  unto  him.  Here  he 
calls  God  himself  the  Lord  of  Israel,  though  Israel  had  shaken 
off  the  yoke,  and  alienated  themselves  from  the  service  of 
God.  They  cannot;  he  says,  escape  the  authority  of  God, 
though  they  have  spurned  his  law  ;  though  they  have  become 
wanton  in  their  superstitions,  they  shall  yet  know  that  they 
remain  under  the  hand  and  power  of  God,  they  shall  know 
that  they  effect  nothing  by  this  their  petulancy  ;  though  they 
thus  wander  after  their  abominations,  yet  the  Lord  will  not 
lose  his  right,  which  he  had  obtained  for  himself  by  redeem- 
ing Israel.  Their  Lord  then  shall  render  to  them  their  oicn 
reproach,  of  which  they  are  worthy. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  have  not  only  been  created  by 
thee,  but  when  thou  hast  placed  us  in  this  world,  thou  hast  also 
enriched  us  with  abundance  of  all  blessings, — O  grant,  that  we 
may  not  transfer  to  others  the  glory  due  to  thee,  and  that 
especially  since  we  are  daily  admonished  by  thy  word,  and  even 
severely  reproved,  we  may  not  with  an  iron  hai-dness  resist,  but 
render  ourselves  pliable  to  thee,  and  not  give  ourselves  up  to 
our  own  devices,  but  follow  with  true  docility  and  meekness, 
that  rule  which  thou  hast  prescribed  in  thy  word,  until  at  length 
having  put  off  all  the  remains  of  eiTors,  we  shall  enjoy  that 
blessed  light,  which  thou  hast  prepared  for  us  in  heaven,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

sion.  Gesenius  says,  that  it  is  to  be  taken  here  adverbially,  and  with 
him  Newcome  and  most  critics  agree.  Horsley  renders  the  clause  thus, 
— "  Ephraim  has  given  bitterest  provocation." 


448  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  TROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIV. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
ILcftiirc  srijirtP'fourrtj. 

1.    When  Ephraim    spake  trem-        1.  Quam  loqiieretiu-  Ephraim, 

bling,  he  exalted  himself  in  Israel ;  tremor :  extulit  se  ipse  in  Israel, 

but  when  he  offended  hi  Baal,  he  et  peccavit  in  Baal,  et  mortuus 

died.  est. 

Interpreters  agree  not  in  their  view  of  this  verse.  Some 
say  that  trembling  was  excited  in  Israel  when  Ephraim,  that 
is,  Jeroboam,  who  was  born  of  that  tribe,  exhorted  the  people 
to  worship  the  calves.  By  the  word  nHlj  retnt,  "  trembling," 
they  understand,  that  the  people  were  so  astonished,  that 
they  without  thought  immediately  obeyed  the  will,  or  rather 
the  humour,  of  their  impious  king.  And  if  this  sense  be  ap- 
proved, the  word,  trembling,  may  be  in  another  way  ex- 
plained, even  in  this, — that  the  people  did  not  immediately 
embrace  that  perverted  worship,  but  dreaded,  as  is  wont  to  be 
the  case  with  regard  to  new  things,  and  which  seem  to  have 
nothing  reasonable  in  their  favour.  But  these  expounders 
w^holly  depart,  in  my  judgment,  from  the  intention  of  the 
Prophet ;  for,  on  the  contrary,  he  sets  forth  here  the  twofold 
state  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  that  it  might  hence  be  manifest 
that  the  ten  tribes  had  been  through  their  own  fault  rejected  by 
the  Lord,  and  had  thus  fallen  from  that  dignity  unto  which 
the  Lord  had  raised  them. 

He  therefore  says,  When  Ephraim  spake  formerly,  his  voice 
teas  dreaded,^  and  he  raised  himself  in  Isi'ael ;  that  is,  among 
the  whole  race  of  Abraham.  But  now  he  is  dead,  or  is  fallen, 
after  he  has  begun  to  sin  in  Baal.  Then,  in  the  first  sentence, 
the  Prophet  records  the  honours  with  which  God  had  favoured 
that  tribe.  Ephraim,  we  know,  was  the  younger  of  the  sons 
of  Joseph.  Manasseh  ought  not  only  to  have  had  the  pre-emi- 
nence, but  also  to  have  reigned  alone  in  that  family ;  for  the 
people  were  divided  into  twelve  tribes.     But  God  intended  to 


1  Horsley  appears  to  have  adopted  Calvin's  view  of  this  sentence, 
version  is  this, — "  When  Ephraim  spake,  there  was  di-ead." 


His 


CHAP.  XIII.   1.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  449 

raise  up  two  chiefs  in  the  house  of  Joseph,  and  preferred  the 
younger  to  the  first-begotten.  Hence  Ephraim,  who  had  in- 
creased in  number  and  power,  and  had  at  length  obtained  the 
royal  dignity,  ought  to  have  acknowledged  the  singular  favour 
of  God.  And  by  way  of  reproach,  the  Prophet  here  says, 
that  all  trembled  at  the  single  voice  of  Ephraira ;  that  is,  when 
he  became  endued  with  authority,  and  then,  that  he  was  ex- 
alted in  Israel.  lie  ought  to  have  been  deemed  of  no  account, 
he  ought  to  have  been  inferior  to  his  brother,  who  was  the 
first-born ;  and  yet  he  excelled  all  the  tribes.  Since,  then, 
God  had  conferred  so  much  honour  on  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 
the  more  grievous  was  his  fault,  that  he  afterwards  had  fallen 
away  unto  idols ;  yea,  that  he  began  his  reign  with  supersti- 
tion, when  God  was  pleased  to  choose  and  anoint  Jeroboam 
king.  And  surely  that  he,  when  raised  beyond  all  hope  to 
the  throne  by  the  hand  of  God,  should,  instead  of  testifying 
his  gratitude,  immediately  corrupt  the  whole  worship  of  God, 
— this  was  extremely  inconsistent. 

But  the  Prophet  says,  in  the  second  place,  that  they  died 
from  the  time  they  had  thus  fallen  away  from  true  and  law- 
ful worship,  in  order  that  they  might  understand  that  they 
received  the  just  reward  of  their  impiety  when  God's  hand 
was  opposed  to  them,  when  they  were  oppressed  by  adver- 
sity. We  now  perceive  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  Prophet 
to  be,  that  the  Israelites  formerly  flourished,  especially  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  from  whom  Jeroboam  arose,  so  that,  by 
their  voice  alone,  they  subdued  all  their  neighbours,  and  that 
beyond  the  expectation  of  men,  they  suddenly  emerged,  and 
erected  a  new  kingdom  among  the  children  of  Abraham. 

He  afterwards  adds,  that  after  they  had  sinned  by  Baal,  they 
became  dead:  for  God  deprived  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  of  the 
power  with  which  he  had  before  adorned  him,  so  that  they 
were  but  little  short  of  being  destroyed.  For  though  his 
kingdom  had  not  wholly  fallen,  it  had  yet  come  to  such  an 
extremity,  that  the  Prophet  might  justly  say  that  they,  who 
were  so  far  removed  from  their  former  state,  were  dead.  But 
when  he  says  that  they  sinned  by  Baal,  he  does  not  mean  that 
this  was  the  beginning  of  their  idolatry  ;  for  Jeroboam  at  first 
made  the  calves,  and  it  was  his  successor  who  built  Baal,  and 
VOL.  I.  2  F 


450  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIV. 

borrowed  that  superstition,  as  it  is  supposed,  from  the  neigh- 
bouring Sidonians.  But  God  records  here  what  is  more 
grievous,  and  less  excusable, — that  the  Israelites  polluted 
themselves  with  the  filth  of  the  Gentiles,  so  that  they  differed 
nothing  from  the  profane  and  unbelieving,  who  had  no  ac- 
quaintance with  sound  doctrine. 

We  are  moreover  taught  in  this  place,  that  when  kings  are 
endued  with  any  authority,  when  they  are  strong  in  power, 
all  this  comes  from  God  ;  for  unless  God  strikes  terror  into 
men,  no  one  would  receive  the  yoke  of  another,  at  least  all 
would  desire  equality,  or  one  would  raise  himself  above  others. 
It  is  then  certain,  that  when  any  one  excels  among  many  in 
power,  this  is  done  through  the  secret  purpose  of  God,  who 
constrains  to  order  the  common  people,  and  causes  them  not 
to  deny  obedience  to  the  command  of  one  man.  This  is  what 
Hosea  now  teaches,  when  he  upbraids  the  tribe  of  Ephraim 
with  respect  to  this  terror ;  for  if  Ephraim  had  been  formidable 
through  his  own  power,  there  would  have  been  no  room  for  the 
Prophet's  reproof:  but  as  this  was  the  peculiar  gift  of  God, 
the  Prophet  justly  says,  that  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  were  in 
great  honour  until  they  had  fallen  into  superstition.  Let  us 
now  proceed — 

2.  And  now  they  sin  more  and  2.  Et  nimc  adduut  ad  peccan- 
more,  and  have  made  them  mol-  dum  (Jioc  est,  pergimt  peccare,)  et 
ten  images  of  then-  silver,  and  idols  fecerimt  sibi  conflatile  ex  argento 
according  to  their  own  nnderstand-  suo,  secundum  intelligentiam  su- 
ing, all  of  it  the  Avork  of  the  crafts-  am,  idola  opus  artificum  omnis  (vel, 
men :  they  say  of  them.  Let  the  omne :)  ipsis  ipsi  dicunt  sacrifican- 
men  that  sacrifice  Idss  the  calves.  tes  hominem,  vitulos  osculentur. 

In  this  verse  the  Prophet  amplifies  the  wickedness  of  the 
people,  and  says,  that  they  had  not  only  in  one  day  cast  aside 
the  pure  worship  of  God,  and  entangled  themselves  in  super- 
stitions ;  but  that  they  had  been  obstinate  in  their  own  depra- 
vity. Thej/  have  added,  he  says,  to  their  sin,  and  have  made  a 
molten  thing  of  their  silver.  When  Israel,  as  we  have  said, 
departed  from  the  worship  of  God,  they  made  calves,  and 
made  them  under  a  specious  appearance ;  but  when  many 
superstitions  were  added,  one  after  another,  there  was,  as  it 
were,  an  accumulation  of  madness,  as  if  the  Israelites  design- 
edly wished  to  subvert  the  law  of  God,  and  to  show  that  they 


CHAP.  XIII.  2.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  451 

cared  nothing  for  the  only  true  God,  by  whom  they  had  been 
redeemed.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Prophet  says  that 
they  made  progress  in  wickedness,  and  observed  no  modera- 
tion in  sinning,  and  this  is  what  usually  happens,  unless  God 
draws  men  back.  As  soon  as  they  fall  away,  they  rush  head- 
long into  evil ;  for  they  take  a  greater  liberty  in  sinning,  after 
they  have  turned  their  back  on  God. 

Hence  this  reproof  of  the  Prophet  ought  to  be  noticed,  for 
he  inveighs  against  the  obstinate  wickedness  of  Israel ;  and 
says,  that  they  made  for  themselves  of  their  silver  a  violten 
thing.  As  we  have  seen  above,  they  abused  the  gifts  of  God 
by  devoting  to  superstition  what  the  Lord  had  destined  for 
their  use.  The  end  for  which  God  has  bestowed  silver,  we 
know,  is,  that  men  may  carry  on  commerce  with  one  another, 
and  apply  it  also  to  other  useful  purposes.  But  when  they 
make  to  themselves  gods  of  silver,  there  is  an  astonishing 
stupidity  in  their  ingratitude,  for  they  pervert  the  order  of 
nature,  and  forget  that  silver  is  given  for  anothei'  end,  and 
that  is,  as  we  have  said,  for  their  use.  The  Prophet  at  the 
same  time  intimates,  that  the  Israelites  were  less  excusable, 
inasmuch  as  when  they  were  enriched,  they  became  proud  of 
their  wealth.  Satiety,  we  know,  is  the  cause  of  wantonness, 
as  it  will  be  shortly  stated  again. 

But  what  the  Prophet  adds  ought  to  be  especially  observ- 
ed, Accordimj  to  their  oum  understanding.  Here  he  severely 
reproves  the  Israelites,  because  they  had  not  subordinated 
all  their  thoughts  to  God,  but,  on  the  contrary,  followed  what 
pleased  themselves.  It  was  then  according  to  their  own  in- 
vention. The  word  which  the  Prophet  uses  is  not  unsuitable, 
though  "  understanding,"  the  word  which  the  Prophet  adopts, 
is  among  the  Hebrews  taken  in  a  good  sense.  But  what  is 
treated  of  here  is  the  worship  of  God,  Avith  respect  to  which 
all  the  prudence,  all  the  reason,  all  the  wisdom  of  men,  and,  in 
short,  all  their  senses,  ought  to  be  suspended :  for  if,  in  this 
case,  they  of  themselves  adopt  any  thing,  be  it  ever  so  little, 
they  inevitably  vitiate  the  worship  of  God.  How  so  ?  Be- 
cause obedience,  we  know,  is  better  than  all  saci'ifices.  This 
then  is  the  rule,  as  to  the  right  worship  of  God, — that  men 
must  become  foolish,  that  they  must  not  allow  themselves  to 


452  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXIV. 

be  wise,  but  that  they  are  only  to  give  ear  to  God,  and  to 
follow  what  he  commands.     But  when  men's  presumption 
intrudes,  so  that  they  devise  a  new  mode  of  worship,  they 
then  depart  from  the  true  God,  and  worship  mere  idols.  The 
Prophet  then  by  ^he  word,  "  understanding,"  condemns  here 
whatever  pleases  the  judgment  and  reason  of  men  ;  as  though 
he  said,  "  The  true  rule  of  religion,  as  to  the  w^orship  of  God, 
is,  that  nothing  human  is  to  be  mingled,  that  no  one  is  to  bring 
forward  what  is  his  own,  or  what  seems  good  to  himself."    In 
short,  the  understanding  of  men  is  here  opposed  to  the  com- 
mand of  God  ;  as  though  the  Prophet  said,  "  One  great  differ- 
ence between  the  true  Avorship  of  God  and  all  fictitious  and 
degenerated  modes  of  worship,  is  obedience  to  the  word  of 
God  ;  if  we  be  wise  according  to  our  own  judgment,  all  we  , 
do  is  corrupt."     How  so  ?     Because  whatever  men  devise  of 
themselves  is  a  pollution  of  divine  worship.     H  ence  Paul,  in 
Col.  ii.,  refutes  all  the  fancies  of  men  by  this  one  argument, 
"  They  are,"  he  says,  "  the  traditions  of  men,  though  they 
may  have  the  show  of  wisdom," 

We  now  apprehend  what  the  Prophet  meant,  and  why  he 
added  the  word  "  understanding  ;"  it  was,  that  the  Israelites 
might  learn,  that  all  the  worship  which  was  in  use  among 
them  was  perverted  and  vicious  ;  for  it  was  not  founded  on 
the  command  of  God,  but  flowed  from  a  different  source,  even 
the  understanding  of  men.  It  then  follows,  as  we  have  said 
before,  that  in  religion  nothing  is  to  be  attempted  by  us,  but 
we  are  to  follow  this  one  law  in  worshipping  God — simply  to 
obey  his  word. 

He  afterwards  adds.  Idols,  the  work  of  artificers  altogether. 
The  Prophet,  in  the  second  place,  derides  the  grossness  which 
had  fascinated  the  minds  of  the  people,  as  they  worshipped  in 
the  place  of  God  the  works  of  men.  For  it  is  usual  with  all 
the  Prophets,  in  order  to  render  the  stupidity  of  men  as  it 
were  palpable,  to  show  that  it  is  wholly  unreasonable  to 
worship  idols ;  for  a  material  cannot  with  any  propriety  be 
worshipped.  When  thei'e  is  before  us  a  great  mass  or  a  great 
heap  of  gold  or  silver,  no  one  imagines  that  there  is  in  it  any 
divinity  :  when  one  passes  through  a  wood,  he  transfers  not 
to  trees  the  glory  due  to  God ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 


CHAP.  XIII.  2.         COMMENTARIES  ON  1I08EA.  453 

stones.  But  when  the  hand  of  the  artificer  is  applied,  the 
plate  of  gold  begins  to  be  a  god ;  so  also  the  trunk  of  a  tree 
seems  to  put  on  the  glory  of  God,  when  it  receives  a  certain 
form  from  the  Avorkman ;  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  other 
things.  Now  it  is  extremely  absurd  to  suppose  that  an  arti- 
ficer, as  soon  as  he  has  hewn  some  wood,  or  as  soon  as  he  has 
melted  gold  or  silver,  can  make  a  god,  and  convey  divinity 
to  a  dead  thing ;  and  yet  it  is  well  known  that  this  is  thought 
everywhere  to  be  the  case.  Superstitious  men  allege  in 
excuse,  that  this  does  not  proceed  from  the  hand  of  the  arti- 
ficer, but  that  as  they  wish  for  some  sign  of  God's  presence, 
and  as  they  cannot  otherwise  set  forth  what  God  is,  God  is 
in  that  forn^/^But  this  still  remains  true,  that  workmen  by 
their  skill  make  gods  of  lifeless  things,  to  which  no  honour 
can  belong.  Since  it  is  so,  the  Prophet  now  justly  says,  that 
what  the  people  of  Israel  worshipped  was  the  work  of  arti- 
ficers ;  and  he  said  this,  that  they  might  know  that  they 
became  shamefully  foolish,  when  they  left  the  true  God,  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  prostrated  themselves  before 
idols  made  by  hands. 

But  he  adds,  that  they  say  to  one  anotlter,  while  they  sacrifice 
men,  Let  them  kiss  the  calves.^  Though  this  place  is  in  various 
v/Sija  explained,  I  am  yet  content  with  the  obvious  meaning  of 
the  Prophet.  He  again  derides  them  for  exhorting  one  another 
to  worship  the  calf.  For  by  kissing  he  means  by  a  figure  a 
profession  of  worship  or  adoration,  as  it  is  evident  from  other 
parts  of  Scripture.  It  is  said  in  1  Kings  xix.,  '  I  have  pre- 
served for  myself  seven  thousand  men,  who  have  not  bent  the 
knee  before  Baal,  nor  kissed  him.'  To  kiss  Baal  then  was  a 
sign  of  reverence.  And  this  practice,  we  see,  has  been  re- 
tained by  the  superstitious,  as  the  case  is  at  this  day  with  the 
Papists,  who  observe  this  special  custom  of  kissing  their 
idols.  But  what  does  the  Prophet  now  say  ?  Tliey  encou- 
rage one  another,  he  says,  m  the  tcorship  of  the  calves,  and  in  the 
meantime  they  sacrifice  men.  The  Prophet  doubtless  con- 
demns here  that  abominable  and  savage  custom  of  parents 
sacrificing  their  children  to  Moloch.     It  was  utterly  repug- 

^  '  Let  the  sacrificcrs  of  iiicii  kiss  the  culvcs.' — llorsley. 


454  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXIV. 

nant  to  the  feeling  of  nature  for  parents  to  immolate  tbeir 
own  children.  For  though  this  was  once  commanded  to 
Abraham,  we  yet  know  that  the  design  was,  that  God  intended 
by  this  proof  to  try  the  obedience  of  his  servant :  but  Abra- 
ham was  not  at  last  suflFered  to  do  what  he  purposed. 

They  then  immolated  men.  If  it  was  right  to  sacrifice  men, 
surely  such  a  service  ought  to  have  been  rendered  at  least  to 
the  only  true  God.  If  it  was  lawful  to  sacrifice  man  for  the 
sake  of  man,  it  was  certainly  ridiculous  to  do  so  to  conciliate 
the  calf;  audit  was  especially  strange,  when  parents  hesitated 
not  to  appease  dead  statues  by  the  blood  of  their  children. 
This  absurdity  then  the  Prophet  now  points  out  as  with  the 
finger,  that  he  might  try  to  make  the  Israelites  ashamed  of 
their  base  conduct.  "  See,"  he  says,  "  how  brutish  ye  are ; 
for  ye  immolate  to  the  calves  and  kiss  them,  and  more  still, 
ye  sacrifice  men.  Is  there  so  much  worthiness  in  the  calf, 
that  man,  who  far  excels  it,  must  be  killed  before  it  ?  Is  not 
this  wholly  inconsistent  with  every  thing  like  reason  ?"  We 
now  understand  what  the  Prophet  meant.  They  say  then  one 
to  another,  ivhile  they  immolate  men,  Let  them  kiss  the  calves. 

But  we  learn  from  this  and  similar  places,  that  we  ought  to 
notice  those  absurdities  in  which  wretched  men  involve  them- 
selves, when  they  are  lost  in  their  own  devices,  after  having 
left  the  word  of  God :  for  this  word  is  to  be  to  us  as  a  bridle 
to  keep  us  from  going  astray  with  them  in  their  monstrous 
devices ;  for  when  we  observe  these  delirious  things  which 
even  nature  itself  abhors,  it  is  evident  that  God  thereby 
restrains  and  preserves  us  as  it  were  by  his  outstretched 
hand.  With  this  design  the  Prophet  now  shows  how  stupid 
the  Israelites  were,  and  how  prodigious  was  their  frenzy  when 
they  kissed  the  calves  with  great  reverence,  and  also  sacri- 
ficed men.  So  at  this  day  with  respect  to  those  under  the 
Papacy,  we  ought  not  only  to  adopt  this  argument,  that  they 
departed  from  the  true  God  when  they  sought  for  them- 
selves new  and  strange  modes  of  worship,  without  the  wan^ant 
of  his  word,  but  we  ought  also  to  bear  in  mind  that  their 
puerilities  are  to  be  ascribed  to  the  same  cause.  And  we  see 
how  God  has  given  them  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,  so  that  they 
throw  aside  no  kinds  of  absurdities.     And  this  consideration, 


CHAP.  XIII.  3.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  455 

as  I  have  said,  will  serve  to  awaken  those  who  are  as  yet 
healable,  when  they  understand  that  they  have  been  in- 
fatuated; having  been  in  this  manner  admonished,  they  may 
return  to  the  right  way.  And  that  we  ourselves  may  give 
thanks  to  God,  and  detest  more  and  more  that  filth  in  which 
we  were  for  a  time  involved,  and  remember  that  there  is 
nothing  more  to  be  dreaded  than  that  the  Lord  should  allow 
us  loose  reins,  the  very  example  of  his  vengeance  as  to  all 
idolaters  is  made  known  to  us  ;  for  as  soon  as  they  departed 
from  the  pure  worship  of  God,  they  gave  themselves  up,  as 
Ave  have  stated,  to  the  most  shameful  stupidity.  Let  us 
proceed — 

3.  Therefore  they  shall  be  as  3.  Propterea  eruut  quasi  nixbes  matu- 

the  moruing  cloud,  and  as  the  tina,  quasi  ros  mane  exoriens,  transiens 

early  dew  that  passeth  away,  quasi  palea  qu£e  ex  area  projicitur,  et 

as  the  chaff"  that  is  tUiven  with  quasi  fumus    e   fumario,    {Nam   nSIK 

the  whirlwind  out  of  the  floor,  accqntur   hoc  sensii :  signiflcat   quidem 

and  as  the  smoke  out  of  the  fenestram,    sed  est  vaporarium   cami- 

chimuey.  ni.) 

The  Prophet  employs  here  four  similitudes  to  show  the 
condition  of  Israel.  How  much  soever  they  flourished  for  a 
time,  and  might  be  deemed  happy,  their  state  would  yet  be 
fading  and  evanescent.  They  shall  be,  he  says,  as  the  morning 
cloud:  though  they  be  loftily  proud,  the  Lord  will  yet  shake 
off  from  them  whatever  power  they  may  have.  Secondly, 
they  shall  be  as  the  dew  that  rises  up  in  the  morning — having 
nothing  substantial  in  them.  Thirdly,  they  shall  be  as  the 
chaff  which  from  the  jioor  is  driven  by  a  lohirlwind.  And, 
lastly,  they  shall  be,  he  says,  as  the  smoke ;  for  as  the  smoke 
produces  thick  darkness,  and,  after  having  gone  out  of  the 
chimney,  disperses  and  disappears,  so  these  proud  people, 
how  much  soever  they  may  have  praised  themselves,  would 
not  continue  in  a  permanent  condition. 

We  hence  conclude,  that  the  Israelites  were  not  so  much 
like  the  dead,  but  that  yet  they  had  some  power  remaining 
in  them  :  for  God  would  have  otherwise  threatened  to  no 
purpose,  that  they  should  be  made  like  a  cloud,  and  the  dew, 
and  the  chaff,  and  the  smoke  :  but  they  had  been  already  in 
a  great  measure  consumed.  And  God  denounces  on  them 
here  utter  destruction,  that  they  might  not  think  that  they 


456  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXIV. 

had  already  suffered  the  last  punishment,  and  that  they 
might  not  suppose  that  they  could  gather  new  strength : 
for  proud  men  entertain  vain  confidence,  through  which  they 
remove  to  a  distance  the  judgment  of  God.  Lest,  then, 
they  should  delude  themselves  with  such  allurements,  the 
Prophet  here  declares  that  their  condition  would  be  fading, 
such  as  would  soon  come  to  ruin.     It  follows — 

4.  Yet  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  4.  Et  ego  Jehova  Deus  tuus  e 
from  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  thou  terra  ^gypti,  et  Deum  extra  me 
shalt  know  no  God  but  me :  for  non  cognosces,  et  Servator  nemo 
there  is  no  Saviour  beside  me.  praeter  me. 

5.  I  did  know  thee  in  the  5.  Ego  cognovi  te  in  dcserto,  in 
wilderness,  in  the  land  of  gi-eat  terra  siccitatmn  {hoc  est,  in  terra 
drought.  ,  arida.) 

The  Prophet  now  repeats  the  sentence  which  we  have 
noticed  in  the  last  chapter  for  the  sake  of  amplifying  the  sin 
of  the  people.  For  had  they  never  known  sound  doctrine, 
had  they  never  been  brought  up  in  the  law,  there  would  have 
been  some  colour  for  alleviating  their  fault;  because  they 
might  have  excused  themselves  by  saying,  that  as  they  had 
never  known  true  religion,  they  had  gone  astray  according  to 
the  common  practice  of  men  ;  but  as  they  had  from  infancy 
been  taught  sound  doctrine,  as  God  had  brought  them  up  as 
it  were  in  his  own  bosom,  as  they  had  learned  from  their  first 
years  what  it  was  to  worship  God  purely,  when  they  thus 
betook  themselves  to  the  superstitions  of  the  heathens,  what 
could  there  be  for  an  excuse  for  them  ?  We  then  see  the 
bearing  of  the  complaint,  when  God  says,  that  he  had  been 
fAe  God  of  Israel  from  the  land  of  Egypt. 

I  am  then,  he  says,  Jehovah  your  God.  By  calling  himself 
Jehovah,  he  glances  at  all  their  fictitious  gods ;  as  though  he 
said,  "I  am  doubtless  justly,  and  in  mine  own  right,  your 
God  ;  for  I  am  of  myself — I  am  the  Creator  of  the  world- 
no  one  can  take  away  my  power :  but  Avhence  have  these 
their  divinity,  except  from  the  madness  of  men?"  He  says 
further,  /  am  thy  God,  O  Israel ;  that  is,  "  I  have  manifested 
myself  to  thee  from  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  thy  very  nativity. 
When  I  redeemed  thee  from  Egypt,  I  brought  thee  out  as  it 
were  from  the  womb  to  the  light  of  life ;  for  Egypt  was  to 
thee  like  the  grave.     Thou  didst  then  begin  to  live,  and  to 


CHAP.  XIII.  4,  5.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  457 

be  some  sort  of  people,  when  I  stretched  forth  my  hand  to 
thee." 

And  now  also  ought  to  be  noticed  what  I  have  said  before, 
that  the  people  were  redeemed  on  this  condition,  that  they 
should  devote  themselves  wholly  to  God.  As  we  are  at  this 
day  Christ's,  and  no  one  of  us  ought  to  live  according  to  his 
own  will,  for  Christ  died  and  rose  again  for  this  end,  that  he 
might  be  the  Lord  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead  :  so  also  then, 
the  Israelites  had  been  redeemed  by  God,  that  they  might 
oiFer  themselves  wholly  to  Him.  And  since  God  ruled  by 
this  right  over  the  people  of  Israel,  how  shameful  and  inex- 
cusable was  their  defection,  when  the  people  wilfully  aban- 
doned themselves  to  the  superstitions  of  the  Gentiles  ? 

A  God,  he  says,  besides  me  thou  oughtest  not  to  knoto. 
These  words  the  Prophet  had  not  before  used.  This  sen- 
tence, then,  is  fuller,  for  it  more  clearly  explains  the  import 
of  what  he  had  said,  that  God  had  purchased  Israel  for  him- 
self by  bringing  them  out  of  Egypt,  and  that  is,  that  Israel 
ought  to  have  been  content  with  this  one  Redeemer,  and  not 
to  seek  for  themselves  other  gods.  A  God,  then,  besides  me 
thou  shalt  not  know.  For  if  this  one  God  was  sufficient  for 
redeeming  his  people,  what  do  the  people  now  mean,  when 
they  wander,  and  seek  aid  here  and  there  ?  for  they  ought  to 
render  to  God  the  life  received  from  him,  which  they  now 
enjoy,  and  ought  to  acknowledge  to  be  sufficiently  safe  under 
his  protection.  We  now  then  see  why  this  was  added.  Thou 
shalt  not  know  a  God  besides  me. 

A  reason,  confirmatory  of  this,  follows :  For  no  one,  he  says, 
is  a  Saviour  except  me.  The  copulative  1,  vau,  ought  to  be  re- 
garded here  as  a  causative.  For  no  one.  Sec,  or.  Surely  no  one 
is  a  Saviour  except  me.  And  this  is  a  remarkable  passage ; 
for  we  learn  that  the  worship  of  God  does  not  consist  in 
words,  but  in  faith,  and  hope,  and  prayer.  The  Papists  of 
the  present  day  think  that  they  do  not  profane  the  worshij) 
of  God,  though  they  fly  to  statues,  though  they  pray  to  dead 
men,  though  they  look  here  and  there  for  the  accomplishment 
of  their  hopes.  How  so  ?  Because  they  ever  retain  the 
only  true  God,  that  is,  they  do  not  ascribe  the  name  of  God 
to  Christopher  or  to  Antony.     The  Papists  think  themselves 


458  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXIV. 

free  from  all  blame,  since  God  retains  his  own  name.  But 
we  see  how  differently  the  matter  is  regarded  by  the  Lord. 
"  I  am,"  he  says,  "  the  only  true  God."  How  is  this  ?  "  Be- 
cause I  am  the  only  Saviour :  feign  not  to  thyself  another 
God,  for  thou  shalt  find  none  that  will  save  thee."  Then  God 
puts  an  especial  value  on  the  honour  that  is  due  to  him  from 
hope  and  pi'ayer ;  that  is,  when  our  soul  recumbs  on  him 
alone,  and  when  we  seek  and  hope  for  salvation  from  no 
other  but  from  him.  We  see  then  how  useful  is  the  doctrine 
contained  in  this  passage,  in  which  the  Prophet  clearly  shows, 
that  the  Israelites  acted  absurdly  and  shamefully  when  they 
formed  another  god  for  themselves,  for  no  Saviour,  except 
the  one  true  God,  can  be  found. 

He  afterwards  adds.  Thee  I  knew  in  the  desert,  in  the  land 
of  droughts.  God  here  confirms  the  truth  that  the  Israelites 
had  acted  very  absurdly  in  having  turned  their  minds  to  other 
gods,  for  he  himself  had  known  them.  The  knowledge  here 
mentioned  is  twofold,  that  of  men,  and  that  of  God.  God 
declares  that  he  had  a  care  for  the  people  when  they  were  in 
the  desert ;  and  he  designates  his  paternal  solicitude  by  the 
term,  knowledge  :  /  kneio  thee ;  that  is,  "  I  then  chose  thee 
a  people  for  myself,  and  familiarly  manifested  myself  to  thee, 
as  if  thou  wert  a  near  friend  to  me.  But  then  it  was  neces- 
sary that  I  should  have  been  also  known  by  thee."  This  is 
the  knowledge  of  men.  Now  Avhen  men  are  known  by  God, 
why  do  they  not  apply  all  their  faculties,  so  that  they  may 
remain  fixed  on  him  ?  For  when  they  divert  them  to  other 
objects,  they  extinguish,  as  much  as  they  can,  this  benefit  of 
God.  So  also  Paul  speaks  to  the  Galatians,  '  After  ye 
have  known  God,  or  rather  after  ye  are  known  by  him,'  (Gal. 
iv.  9.)  In  the  first  clause,  he  shows  that  they  had  done 
very  wickedly  in  betaking  themselves  to  various  devices  after 
the  light  of  the  gospel  had  been  offered  to  them  :  but  he  in- 
creases their  sin  by  the  next  clause,  when  he  says,  '  Bather 
after  ye  are  known  by  him  ;'  as  though  he  said,  "  God  has 
anticipated  you  by  his  gratuitous  goodness.  Since,  then, 
God  has  thus  first  known  you,  and  first  favoured  you  with 
his  grace,  how  great  and  how  shameful  is  now  your  ingrati- 
tude in  not  seeking  to  know  him  in  return  ?"     We  now  then 


CUAP.  XIII.  6.         COMMENTAKIES  ON  HOSEA.  459 

see  why  the  Prophet  added,  that  the  IsraeHtes  had  been 
knoion  by  God  in  the  desert,  in  the  land  of  droughts. 

And  there  is  an  express  mention  made  of  the  desei't:  for  it 
was  then  necessary  for  the  people  to  be  sustained  miracu- 
lously by  the  Lord  ;  for  except  God  had  rained  manna  from 
heaven,  and  had  also  given  water  for  drink,  the  people  must 
have  miserably  perished.  Since,  then,  God  had  thus  sup- 
ported the  people  contrary  to  the  usual  course  of  nature,  so 
that  without  his  paternal  care  there  could  have  been  no  hope 
of  life,  the  Prophet  now  rightly  adds,  In  the  desert,  in  the  land 
of  droughts ;  that  is,  in  that  dry  solitude,  where  not  a  grain  of 
corn  grew,  so  that  the  people  could  not  live  except  God  had, 
as  it  were,  with  his  own  hand,  given  them  meat,  and  put  it 
in  their  mouth.  We  now  see  that  the  extreme  impiety  of 
the  people  is  here  manifestly  proved  ;  for  having  been  taught 
in  God's  law,  and  been  encouraged  by  so  many  benefits,  they 
yet  went  astray  after  profane  superstitions.  And  the  Pro- 
phet, at  the  same  time,  adds — 

6.  According  to  their  pastm'e,  so  6.  Juxta^  pascua  sua  et  satiati 

were  they  filled ;   they  were  filled,  sunt,  saturati  sunt,  et  elevatum 

and  their  heart  was  exalted  ;  there-  est  cor  ipsorum  ;  proptcrea  obliti 

fore  have  they  forgotten  me.  sunt  mei. 

The  Prophet   shows  here  that  the  people  were  in  every 

^  A  gi'eat  number  of  MSS.  have  3,  beth,  instead  of  3,  caph,  before 
the  word,  "  pastm-es."  But  to  connect  the  two  firlst  words  in  this  verse 
with  the  last  verse,  as  Bishop  Horsley  does,  is  certainly  not  right ;  for 
the  two  different  times  here  evidently  referred  to  are  thereby  confounded. 
Though  Calvin  in  this,  as  in  some  other  instances,  does  not  settle  the 
gi-ammatical  construction,  he  yet  sets  forth  the  real  meaning  of  the  pass- 
age. God  says,  that  he  knew  the  people  of  Israel,  both  in  the  desert 
and  in  "  their  pastures  ;"  that  is,  in  the  fertile  land  of  Canaan  ;  and  then 
he  states  the  effect  which  their  pastures  had  upon  them.  What  favours 
the  substitution  of  3  for  3  is,  that  the  former  is  used  before  "  desert," 
and  "  the  land  of  droughts,"  in  the  preceding  verse.  The  verb  "  to 
know"  is  to  be  understood  at  the  beginning  of  this  verse.  The  two 
verses,  5  and  6,  may  be  thus  rendered  : — 

5.  I  knew  thee  in  the  desert, 
In  the  land  of  droughts  ; 

6.  In  their  pastures  also  when  they  were  filled  ; 
They  were  filled,  and  raised  up  was  their  heart ; 
Hence  they  forgat  me. 

The  change  of  persons  from  "  thee  "  to  "  them  "  is  common  throughout 
this  book. — Ed. 


460  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PKOPHETS.      LECT.  XXXIV. 

way  intractable.  He  has  indeed  handled  this  argument  in 
other  places  ;  but  the  repetition  is  not  superfluous.  After  he 
had  said,  that  the  people  were  ungrateful  in  not  continuing 
in  the  service  of  their  Redeemer,  by  whom  they  had  been  so 
kindly  and  bountifully  treated  in  the  desert,  where  they  must 
have  perished  through  famine  and  want,  had  not  the  Lord 
in  an  unwonted  manner  brought  them  help  in  their  great  ne- 
cessity, he  now  adds,  "  The  Lord  would  have  also  allured  you 
by  other  means,  had  you  not  been  of  a  wholly  wild  and  bar- 
barous disposition :  but  it  is  hence  manifest,  that  you  are 
utterly  disobedient ;  for  after  you  have  been  brought  out  of 
the  desert,  you  came  to  rich  pastures."  For  the  land  of  Is- 
rael is  here  compared  to  rich  and  fertile  pastures ;  as  though 
he  said,  "  God  has  placed  you  in  an  inheritance  where  you 
might  eat  to  the  full,  as  when  a  shepherd  leads  his  sheep  to 
a  spot  especially  fertile."  What  did  take  place  ?  To  their 
pastures  they  came,  and  ivere  Jilled ;  they  imre  filled,  and  elevated 
became  their  heart,  and  they  forgat  me. 

Since,  then,  the  Israelites  had  extinguished  the  memory  of 
their  redemption,  after  the  Lord  had  fed  them  when  hungry 
in  the  desert,  and  since  in  their  fulness  they  rejected  God, 
and  shook  off  his  yoke,  and,  like  ferocious  horses,  kicked 
against  him,  it  became  evident  that  their  nature  was  so  un- 
tameable,  that  they  could  by  no  means  be  reduced  to  obedi- 
ence or  submission.  We  shall  defer  the  rest  till  to- 
morrow. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  dost  so  kmdly  call  on  as  daily 
by  thy  voice,  meekly  and  calmly  to  offer  ourselves  to  be  ruled 
by  thee,  and  since  thou  hast  exalted  us  to  a  high  degree  of  hon- 
om-  by  freeing  us  from  the  dread  of  the  devil,  and  from  that 
tyi-anny  which  kept  us  in  misei'able  fear,  and  hast  also  favoured 
us  with  the  Spirit  of  adoption  and  of  hope, — O  grant,  that  we, 
being  mindful  of  these  benefits,  may  ever  submit  ourselves  to 
thee,  and  desu-e  only  to  raise  our  voice  for  this  end,  that  the 
whole  world  may  submit  itself  to  thee,  and  that  those  who  seem 
now  to  rage  against  thee  may  at  length  be  brought,  as  weU  as 
we,  to  render  thee  obedience,  so  that  thy  Son  Christ  may  be 
the  Lord  of  all,  to  the  end  that  thou  alone  mayest  be  exalted, 
and  that  we  may  be  made  subject  to  thee,  and  be  at  length 


CHAP.  XIII.  7,  8.   COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  461 

raised  up  above,  and  become  partakers  of  that  glory  which  has 
been  obtained  for  us  by  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

ILtctuvt  ^f)ivt^^fiftif. 

We  observed  in  our  yesterday's  lecture,  that  the  Israelites 
were  condemned,  because  they  were,  Avhen  fed  in  rich  pas- 
tures, like  mettlesome  horses  ;  and  this  is  what  commonly 
happens.  And  even  Moses  foretold  this  in  his  song,  'My 
chosen,  having  become  fat,  kicked  against  me,'  (Deut.  xxxii. 
15.)  What  the  Prophet  said  was  now  fulfilled  ;  fulness  had 
produced  ferocity  in  the  people  of  Israel.  According  to  their 
pastures,  he  says,  they  ivere  filled ;  they  icere  satiated,  and  their 
heart  was  elevated.  Ezekiel  declares  the  same  of  Sodom ; 
when  their  stomach  was  well  filled,  they  became  proud,  (Ezek. 
xvi.  49.)  But  the  Prophet  speaks  there  of  their  cruelty  to- 
wards men ;  for  he  says,  that  the  Sodomites,  while  abounding 
in  all  blessings,  were  full  of  cruelty,  so  that  they  contemptu- 
ously despised  the  poor.  But  the  Prophet  condemns  hei'e  a 
worse  thing  in  the  people  of  Israel,  for  their  heart  was  inflat- 
ed with  pride  against  God, 

And  there  is,  in  the  last  place,  a  mention  made  of  their /o7-- 
getfulness  of  God.  It  is  impossible,  when  men  are  blinded  by 
a  wilful  self-confidence,  but  that  they  will  cast  aside  every 
fear  of  God  and  every  concern  for  religion.  And  this  pass- 
age teaches  us,  that  we  ought  to  use  our  abundance  temper- 
ately and  frugally,  and  that  we  ought,  in  the  first  place,  be- 
ware lest  the  bounty  of  God  should  introduce  a  forgetfulness 
of  him.  For  it  is  an  extreme  perversion,  that  when  the  more 
largely  God  pours  his  gifts  upon  us,  our  hearts  should  be 
more  narrow,  and  that  his  benefits  should  be  like  veils  to 
cover  our  eyes.  We  ought  then  to  labour,  that  the  benefits 
of  God  may,  on  the  contrary,  renew  the  recollection  of  him 
in  our  minds :  and  then,  as  1  have  said,  let  moderation  and 
frugality  be  added.     Let  us  now  proceed — 

7.  Therefore  I  will  be  unto  them  7.  Et  ero  illis  tanquam  leo,  tan- 
as a  lion  :  as  a  leopard  by  the  way  quam  pardus  in  via  Assur  (ve/,  aspi- 
AVill  I  observe  tliem.  ciam,  vel^  iusidiabor,  ut  alii  vertimt.) 

8.  I  Avill  meet  them  as  a  bear  (^/^a^  8.  Occurram  illis  tanquam  iirsiis 
is  bereaved  of  her  ivfielps,  and  will  orbiitus(sui.spnrvulissr/7/f6'^;)t'tdi>s- 


462  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXXV. 

rend  the  caul  of  their  heart,  and  rumpam  clausiiram  cordis  eonim  ; 
there  mil  I  devoiu-  them  like  a  lion  :  vorabo  eos  quasi  leo  ;  ^  bestia  agri 
the  wUd  beast  shall  tear  them.  scindet  (vel,  lacerabit)  ipsos. 

The  Prophet  denounces  again  on  the  IsraeKtes  the  ven- 
geance of  God;  and  as  they  were  become  torpid  through 
their  own  flatteries,  as  we  have  already  often  observed,  he 
here  describes  the  terrible  judgment  of  God,  that  he  might 
strike  fear  into  the  obstinate,  so  that  they  might  at  length 
perceive  that  they  had  to  do  with  God,  and  begin  to  dread 
his  power.  And  this,  as  we  have  said,  was  very  necessary, 
when  the  Prophets  intended  to  awaken  hypocrites ;  for  self- 
confidence  so  inebriates  them,  that  they  hesitate  not  to  de- 
spise all  the  threatenings  of  God  :  and  this  is  the  reason  why 
he  adopts  these  three  similitudes.  He  first  compares  God  to 
a  lion,  then  to  a  leopard,  and  then  to  a  bear.  I  will  be,  he 
says,  like  a  lion,  like  a  leopard,  and  then  like  a  hear.  God,  we 
know,  is  in  his  own  nature  merciful  and  kind  ;  when  he  says 
that  he  Avill  be  like  a  lion,  he  puts  on  as  it  were  another  char- 
acter ;  but  this  is  done  on  account  of  men's  wickedness,  as  it 
is  said  in  Ps.  xviii.,  '  With  the  gentle,  thou  wilt  be  gentle ; 
with  the  perverse,  thou  wilt  be  perverse.'  For  though  God 
speaks  sharply  and  severely  through  his  Prophet,  he  yet  ex- 
presses what  we  ought  to  remember,  and  that  is,  that  he  thus 
speaks,  because  we  do  not  allow  him  to  treat  us  according  to 
his  own  nature,  that  is,  gently  and  kindly ;  and  that  when  he 
sees  us  to  be  obstinate  and  untameable,  he  then  contends  witli 
us  (so  to  speak)  with  the  like  contumacy ;  not  that  perver- 
sity properly  belongs  to  God,  but  he  borrows  this  similitude 
from  men,  and  for  this  reason,  that  men  may  not  continue  to 
flatter  themselves  when  he  is  displeased  with  them.  I  shall 
therefore  he  like  a  lion,  like  a  leopard  in  the  way. 

^  Some  render  this  "  the  lioness,"  but  it  is  more  consonant  with  this 
passage  to  render  it  "  lion,"  meaning,  as  its  name,  X'^n'?,  lAbia,  is  taken 
to  signify,  a  cruel  old  lion.  The  word  in  the  former  verse  is  ^nL",  shaclid, 
which  means  a  fierce  lion.  So  that  the  Lord  compares  himself  to  the  most 
devouring  and  the  fiercest  species  of  tlie  lion  tribe.  The  Hebrews  have 
other  names  for  lions,  desiguative  of  their  peculiar  nature  or  of  their  age. 
-T.23,  cuphir,  is  a  young  lion  ;  nnx,  arie,  a  grown  up  and  a  rapacious 
lion ;  VTI'^S  shichets,  a  lion  of  middle  age  and  fierce  ;  and  :;•>'?,  lish,  an  old 
lion.  With  respect  to  the  two  mentioned  here,  there  is  a  gradation,  ac- 
cording to  the  sense  of  the  passage.  The  first,  in  verse  7,  is  a  lion  in 
middle  age,  bold  and  ferocious  ;  but  the  second,  in  verse  8,  is  one  still  older, 
but  retaining  his  vigour,  and  still  more  ferocious  and  devouring. — Ed. 


CHAP.  XIIT.  7,  8.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  463 

As  to  the  word  Assur,  interpreters  take  it  in  various  ways. 
Some  render  it,  Assyria,  though  it  is  here  written  with  Kamets : 
but  the  Hebrews  consider  it  as  an  appellative,  not  the  name 
of  a  place  or  countiy.  Some  again  render  it  thus,  "  I  will 
look  on  them,"  and  derive  it  from  lltJ^,  shiir,  and  take  {<, 
aleph,  as  designative  of  the  future  tense.  Others  derive  it 
from  *^JJ'^^,  ashe?',  and  will  have  it  to  be  in  the  conjugation 
Pual :  and  here  they  differ  again  among  themselves.  Some 
render  it,  "  I  will  lay  in  wait  for  them  :"  and  others  think  it 
to  be  Shoar,  "  I  will  be  a  layer  in  wait  like  a  leopard."  But 
this  variety,  with  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  is  of 
but  little  moment ;  for  we  see  the  drift  of  the  Prophet's  ob- 
ject. He  intends  here  to  take  away  from  hypocrites  their 
vain  confidence,  and  to  terrify  them  with  the  apprehension  of 
God's  vengeance  which  was  impending.  He  therefore  says, 
that  though  God  had  hitherto  spared  them,  nay,  had  in  a 
manner  kindly  cherished  them,  yet  since  they  continued 
to  provoke  his  wrath,  their  condition  would  soon  be  very  dif- 
ferent ;  for  he  ivould  come  against  them  like  a  lion ;  that  is,  he 
would  leap  on  them  v/ith  the  greatest  fury ;  he  would  also 
be  like  a  leopard :  and  a  leopard,  we  know,  is  a  very  cruel 
beast :  and,  lastly,  he  compares  him  to  a  bereaved  she-bear, 
or,  a  bereaved  bear. 

But  he  afterwards  adds,  /  loill  rend,  or  will  tear,  the  inclo- 
snre  of  their  heart.  They  who  understand  the  inclosure  of 
the  heart  to  be  their  obstinate  hardness,  seem  to  refine  too 
much  on  the  words  of  the  Prophet.  We  know,  indeed,  that 
the  Prophets  sometimes  use  this  mode  of  speaking  ;  for  they 
call  that  a  hard  heart,  or  a  heart  covered  with  fatness,  which 
is  not  pliant,  and  does  not  willingly  receive  sound  doctrine. 
But  the  Prophet  rather  alludes  to  the  savageness  of  the  bear, 
when  he  says,  I  will  rend  or  tear  in  pieces  the  membrane  of 
the  heart,  and  will  devour  you  as  a  lion.  For  it  is  the  most 
cruel  kind  of  death,  when  the  lion  with  his  claws  and  teeth 
alms  at  the  heart  itself,  and  tears  the  bowels  of  man.  The 
Prophet  therefore  intended  to  set  forth  this  most  cruel  kind 
of  death.  "  I  will  therefore,"  he  says,  "  tear  asunder  the  peri- 
cardium, or  the  inclosure  of  the  heart."  I  do  not  at  the  same 
time  say,  that  the  Prophet  does  not  allude  to  the  hardness  of 
the  people,  while  he  retains  his  own  similitude. 


464  THE  TWELVE  3imOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXXV. 

And  the  beast  of  the  field  shall  rend  them.  He  speaks  now 
without  a  similitude ;  for  God  means  that  all  the  wild  beasts 
would  be  his  ministers  to  execute  his  judgment.  "  I  will  then 
send  all  the  beasts  of  the  field  to  rend  and  tear  them,  so  that 
nothing  among  them  shall  remain  safe."  We  now  see  the 
purport  of  this  passage,  and  to  what  use  it  ought  to  be  applied. 
As  we  are  by  nature  so  slothful,  yea,  and  careless,  and  when 
God  does  not  stir  us  up,  we  indulge  our  own  delusions,  w^e 
ought  to  notice  those  figurative  representations  which  tend 
to  shake  off  fi'om  us  our  tardiness,  and  show  to  us  how  dread- 
ful the  judgment  of  God  is.  For  the  same  purpose  are  those 
metaphors  respecting  the  eternal  fire  and  the  worm  that  never 
dies.  For  God,  seeing  the  feelings  of  men  to  be  so  torpid, 
has  in  Scripture  applied  those  things  which  may  correct  their 
sluggishness.  Whenever  then  God  puts  on  a  character  not 
his  own,  let  us  know  that  it  is  through  our  fault;  for  we  suffer 
him  not  to  deal  with  us  r  ^cording  to  his  own  nature,  inas- 
much as  we  are  intractable.     Let  us  go  on — 

9.  O  Israel,  thou  hast  destroyed  9.  Perdiditte  Israel;  quia  in  me 

thyself:  but  in  me  is  thine  help.  ausilium  tuum.' 

lO.IwillbethyKing:  where  isawy  10.  Ero  :  Eex  tuus  ubi,  nt  servet 

other  that  maj^  save  thee  in  all  thy  te  in  cunctis  urbibus  tuis,  et  judices 

cities  ?  and  thy  judges  of  whom  thou  tui,  de  quibus  dixisti,  Da  mihi  regem 

saidst,  Give  me  a  king  and  princes  ?  et  principes? 

11.  I  gave  thee  a  king  in  mine  11.  Dabo  tibi  (^oc  es<,  Dedi  tibi) 

anger,  and  took  him  away  in  my  regem  in   ii-a  mea,   et   sustuli  in 

wrath.  furore  meo. 

^  Bishop  Horsley's  rendering  of  this  verse,  which  was  that  of  Rivet^  is 
the  following — "  It  is  thy  destruction,  0  Israel,  that  upon  me  (alone  it 
lies)  to  help  thee."  He  adds  in  a  note — "Thy  great  privilege,  to  have 
God  alone  for  thy  defence,  becomes  the  occasion  of  thy  destruction.  In 
my  Avi'ath  I  withdrew  my  special  aid ;  and  since  forsaken  by  me,  thou 
hast  no  other  helper,  thy  ruin  must  ensue." 

In  this  instance  our  version,  as  to  the  first  clause,  seems  preferable  to 
that  offered  by  Calvin.  The  verb  is  not  in  the  third  person,  but  the 
second.  Its  final  radical  letter  is  rii  toi<,  and  the  same  letter  is  character- 
istic of  the  second  person,  and  it  is  not  here  doubled  ;  another  instance 
of  which  we  find  in  Ezekiel  xxviii.  17,  "]nODn  T\X\^->  '  Thou  hast  cor- 
rupted,' or  '  destroyed,  thy  wisdom.' 

There  is  reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  our  version,  as  well  as  that 
of  Calvin,  as  to  the  second  clause.  Literally  it  is,  "Though  in  me  for 
thy  help,"  which  seems  to  mean  this',  "  Though  it  was  in  my  power  to 
help  thee." 

But  if  the  first  word  of  the  verse  be  taken  as  a  substantive,  as  it  is  by 
many  critics,  then  the  first  clause  may  be  considered  as  having  reference 
to  the  preceding  verses.     The  meaning  then  would  be,  that  such  would 


CHAP.  XIII.  9-11.   COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  465 

In  the  first  place,  God  upbraids  the  Israelites  for  having  in 
their  perverseness  rejected  whatever  was  offered  for  their 
safety:  but  he  proceeds  farther  and  says,  that  they  were  past 
hope,  and  that  there  was  a  hidden  cause  which  prevented 
God  from  helping  them,  and  bringing  them  aid  when  they 
laboured  under  extreme  necessity.  He  has  destroyed  thee, 
Israel,  he  says.  Some  consider  the  word,  calf,  to  be  under- 
stood, "  The  calf  hath  destroyed  thee  :"  but  this  is  strained. 
Others  think  that  there  is  a  change  of  person :  and  I  am  in- 
clined to  adopt  this  opinion,  as  this  mode  of  speaking,  we 
know,  is  very  common :  Destroyed  thee  has  Israel ;  thou  art 
the  cause  of  thine  own  destruction,  or,  "  Israel  has  destroyed 
himself."  Though  then  there  is  here  a  verb  of  the  third  per- 
son, and  there  is  afterwards  added  an  affixed  pronoun  of  the 
second  person,  we  may  yet  thus  render  the  passage,  "  Israel 
has  destroyed  himself"  At  the  same  time,  when  I  weigh 
more  fully  every  particular,  this  passage,  I  think,  would  be 
better  and  more  fitly  explained  by  being  taken  indefinitely: 
''  Something  hath  destroyed  thee,  Israel:"  as  though  he  said, 
"  Inquire  now  who  hath  destroyed  thee."  God  then  does 
not  here  name  Israel  as  the  author,  nor  does  he  point  out  any 
as  the  author  of  their  ruin ;  but  yet  he  shows  that  Israel  was 
lost,  and  that  the  cause  of  their  destruction  was  to  be  sought 
in  some  one  else,  and  not  in  him.  This  is  the  meaning. 
Then  it  is.  Something  hath  destroyed  thee,  Israel;  for  in  me  teas 
thy  help.  God  shows  and  proves  that  Israel,  who  had  been 
hitherto  preserved,  is  now  destroyed  through  their  own  fault ; 
for  God  had  once  adopted  the  people,  and  for  this  end,  that 
he  might  continue  to  show  his  favour  towards  them.     If  then 

be  Israel's  destruction,  though  at  the  same  time  there  was  for  him  help  in 
God,  if  he  had  sought  it : — 

Such  thy  destruction,  Israel ! 

Though  in  me  there  was  help  for  thee. 

Then  follows  the  next  verse, — 

I  will  be  the  same:  thy  king,  where  is  he  ?  &c. 

For  changing  >nN  into  rv^^i  the  authority  is  very  small,  only  one  MS., 
and  another  doubtful :  and  there  is  no  need,  and  indeed  the  sense  is  there- 
by injm-ed.  In  the  Geneva  Bible  it  is  rendered,  '  I  am.'  The  future 
tense  in  Hebrew  includes  often  the  present  as  well  as  what  is  future.  To 
give  it  its  full  meaning,  it  must  be  thus  rendered,  '  I  am  and  will  be,'  that 
is,  thy  help ;  for  he  had  before  said,  that  there  had  been  help  for  them  in 
him. — Ed. 

VOL.  I.  2  G 


466  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXV. 

the  wickedness  and  ingratitude  of  tlie  people  had  not  hindered, 
God  would  have  been  doubtless  always  like  himself,  and  his 
goodness  towards  that  people  would  have  flowed  in  a  con- 
tinuous and  uniform  stream. 

This  is  what  he  means  in  the  second  clause,  when  he  says, 
In  me  was  thine  help ;  by  which  he  seems  to  say,  "  How  comes 
it,  and  what  is  the  reason,  that  I  do  not  now  help  thee  accord- 
ing to  my  usual  manner  ?    Thou  hast  indeed  found  me  hitherto 
to    be   thy   deliverer :    though  thou  hast   often   struggled 
with  great  and  grievous  dangers,  I  was  yet  never  wanting 
to  thee ;  thou  hast  ever  found  from  me  a  prompt  assistance. 
How  comes  it  now  that  I  have  cast  thee  away,  that  thou 
criest  in  vain,  and  that  no  one  brings  thee  any  help  ?     How 
comes  it,  that  thou  art  thus  forsaken,  and  receivest  no  relief 
whatever  from  my  hand,  as  thou  hast  been  wont  to  do  ?   And 
doubtless  I  should  never  be  wanting  to  thee,  if  thou  wouldest 
allow  me ;  but  thou  closest  the  door  against  me,  and  by  thy 
wickedness  spurnest  my  favour,  so  that  it  cannot  come  to 
thee.     It  then  follows,  that  thou  art  now  destroyed  through 
thy  own  fault :  Something  then  hath  destroyed  thee^     He  speaks 
here  indefinitely;  but  this  suspended  way  of  expression  is 
more  emphatical  when  he  shows  that  Israel  was  without  reason 
astonished,  and  had  also  without  reason  expostulated  with 
God.     "  There  is  then  no  ground  for  contending  with  God,  as 
if  he  had  frustrated  thy  expectation,  and  despised  thy  desires 
and  cryings ;  God  indeed  is  consistent  with  himself,  for  he  is 
not  changeable ;"  as    though  he  said,  "  Their  perdition  is 
from  another  cause,  and  they  ought  to  know  that  there  is 
some  hinderance,  why  God  should  not  extend  his  hand  to 
help  them,  as  he  has  hitherto  usually  done." 

We  now  perceive  the  mind  of  the  Prophet :  he  in  the  first 
place  records  what  God  had  been  hitherto  to  the  people  ;  and 
then  he  takes  for  granted  that  he  does  not  change,  but  that 
he  possesses  a  uniform  and  unwearied  goodness.  But  since 
he  had  hitherto  helped  his  people,  he  concludes,  that  Israel 
was  destroyed  through  some  other  cause,  inasmuch  as  God 
brought  him  no  aid  ;  for  unless  Israel  had  intercepted  God's 
goodness,  it  would  have  certainly  flowed  as  usual.  It  then 
appears  that  its  course  was  impeded  by  the  wickedness  of  the 
people ;  for  they  put  as  it  were  an  obstacle  in  its  way. 


CHAT.  XIII.  9-11.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  467 

And  this  passage  teaches  us,  that  men  in  vain  clamour 
against  God  in  their  miseries  :  for  he  would  be  always  ready 
to  help  them,  were  they  not  to  spurn  the  favour  offered  to 
them.  Whenever  then  God  does  not  help  us  in  our  necessity, 
and  suffers  us  to  languish,  and  as  it  were  to  pine  away  in  our 
afflictions,  it  is  doubtless  so,  because  we  are  not  disposed  to 
receive  his  favour,  but,  on  the  contrary,  we  obstruct  its  way  ; 
as  it  is  said  by  Isaiah,  "  Shortened  is  not  the  Lord's  hand, 
that  it  cannot  save,  nor  is  my  ear  heavy,  that  it  does  not  hear. 
Your  sins,"  he  says,  "  have  set  up  a  mound  between  you 
and  me,"  (Isa.  lix.  1,  2.)  To  the  same  purpose  are  the  words 
of  the  Prophet  here,  when  he  says,  that  we  ought  to  inquire 
what  the  cause  of  our  destruction  is,  when  the  Lord  does  not 
immediately  deliver  us :  for  as  he  has  once  given  us  a  taste 
of  his  goodness,  so  he  will  continue  to  do  the  same  to  the  end ; 
for  he  is  not  wearied  in  his  kindness,  nor  can  his  bounty  be 
exhausted.  The  fault  then  belongs  to  us.  We  hence  see 
how  remarkable  is  this  passage,  and  what  useful  instruction  it 
contains. 

He  afterwards  more  fully  confirms  the  same  by  saying,  / 
will  be ;  and  then  he  says,  T7ii/  king,  ichere  is  he  ?  By  saying, 
*  I  will  be,'  God  repeats  what  he  had  before  declared,  that  he 
would  always  be  the  same ;  for,  as  James  says,  '  No  over- 
shadowing happens  to  him,'  (James  i.  17.)  Hence  '  I  will 
be ;'  that  is,  "  Though  the  Israelites  rail  against  me,  that  I  do 
not  pursue  my  usual  course  of  kindness,  it  is  yet  most  false ; 
for  I  remain  ever  the  same,  and  am  always  ready  to  show 
kindness  to  men ;  for  I  do  not,  as  I  have  elsewhere  declared, 
forsake  the  works  of  my  hands,  (Ps.  cxxxviii.  8.)  Seeing  then 
that  I  thus  continue  my  favour  towards  men,  it  must  be  that 
the  way  to  my  favour  is  closed  up  by  their  wickedness.  Let 
them  therefore  examine  themselves,  when  they  cry  and  I 
answer  not.  When  in  their  evils  they  in  a  manner  pine  away, 
and  find  no  relief,  let  them  acknowledge  it  to  be  their  own 
fault ;  for  I  would  have  made  myself  the  same  as  ever  I  have 
been,  and  they  would  have  found  me  a  deliverer,  had  not  a 
change  taken  place  in  them."  We  now  comprehend  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Prophet  in  the  ninth  verse,  and  as  to  the  expres- 
sion, *nXj  dcij  I  ivill  be^  in  the  verse  which  follows. 


468  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXXV. 

He  then  says,  Where  is  thy  king  ?  God  again  reproaches 
the  Israelites  for  having  reposed  their  confidence  in  their 
king  and  other  earthly  helps,  by  which  they  thought  them- 
selves to  have  been  well  fortified.  Where  is  thy  king  ?  he 
says.  He  derides  the  Israelites  ;  for  they  saw  that  their 
king  was  now  stripped  of  every  power  to  help,  and  that  all 
their  princes  were  destitute  both  of  prudence  and  of  all  other 
means.  Since  then  there  was  no  protection  from  men,  the 
Prophet  shows  now  that  Israel  had  but  a  vain  trust,  when 
they  thought  themselves  safe  under  the  shadow  of  their  king, 
when  they  considered  themselves  secure  as  long  as  they  were 
governed  by  prudent  men.  All  these  things,  he  says,  are 
vain.  But  we  must  ever  bear  in  mind  what  he  had  said 
before,  /  loill  be ;  for  had  not  this  shield  been  set  up,  hypo- 
crites would  have  ever  said  in  return,  "  Where  now  is  God  ? 
What  is  his  purpose  ?  Why  does  he  delay  ?"  Hence  God 
mentioned  before  that  he  was  ready  to  help  them,  but  that 
they  by  their  wickedness  had  closed  up  the  way. 

But  he  further  derides  them  for  having  in  vain  placed  their 
hope  and  their  help  in  their  king  and  princes.  Where  is  thy 
king,  he  says,  that  he  may  save  thee  in  all  thy  cities  9  It  is  not 
without  reason  that  the  Prophet  mentions  cities,  because  the 
Israelites  despised  all  threatenings,  while  their  cities  were  on 
every  side  unassailable  and  strong  to  keep  out  enemies.  Hence 
when  God  threatened  them  by  his  Prophets,  they  regarded 
what  was  said  to  them  as  fables,  and  thus  defended  them- 
selves, "  How  can  enemies  assail  us  ?  Though  there  were 
hundred  wars  nigh  at  hand,  have  we  not  cities  which  can 
resist  the  onsets  of  enemies  ?  We  shall  therefore  dwell  in 
safety,  and  enjoy  our  pleasures,  though  God  should  shake 
heaven  and  earth."  Since  then  they  were  so  inebriated  with 
this  false  confidence,  the  Prophet  now  says,  "  I  know  that  you 
excel  in  having  great  and  many  cities  ;  but  as  you  deem 
them  as  your  protection,  God  will  show  that  this  hope  is  vain 
and  deceptive.  Wliere  then  is  thy  king,  that  he  may  save  thee 
in  thy  cities  ?  And  though  thy  king  be  well  furnished  with 
an  army  and  with  defences,  it  will  yet  avail  thee  nothing, 
when  God  shall  once  rise  up  against  thee." 

But  he  subjoins,  And  thy  judges,  of  tchom  thou  hast  saidy 


CHAP.  XIII.  9-11.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  469 

Give  me  a  king  and  princes  ?     Here  the   Prophet  ascends 
higher ;  for  he  shows  that  the  people  of  Israel  had  not  only- 
sinned  in  this  respect,  that  they  had  placed  their  hope  in  their 
king,  and  in  other  helps ;  but  that  they  had  also  chosen  for 
themselves  a  king,  whom  God  had  not  approved.  For  David, 
we  know,  was  anointed  for  this   end,  that  he  might  unite 
together  the  whole  body  of  the  people ;  and  God  intended 
that  his  Church  and  chosen  people  should  remain  under  one 
head,  that  they  might  be  safe.     It  was  therefore  an  impious 
separation,  when  the  ten  tribes  wished  for  themselves  a  new 
king.     How  so  ?     Because  a  defection  from  the  kingdom  of 
David  was  as  it  were  a  denial  of  God.     For  if  it  was  said  to 
Samuel,  '  Thee  have  they  not  rejected,  but  mc,  that  I  should 
not  reign  over  them,'  (1  Sam.  viii.  7,)  it  was  certainly  more 
fully  verified  as  to  David.     We  now  then  see  what  the  Pro- 
phet meant :  after  having  inveighed  against  the  false  confi- 
dence of  the  people  for  thinking  that  they  were  safe  through 
the  power  of  their  king,  he  now  adds,  "  I  will  advance  to 
another  source :  for  thou  didst  not  then  begin  to  sin,  when 
thou  didst  transfer  the  glory  of  God  to  the  king,  but  when 
thou  didst  wish  to  have  a  kingdom  of  thine  own,  being  not 
content  with  that  kingdom  which  he  had  instituted  in  the 
person  of  David."     The  Prophet  does  now  then  accuse  the 
people  of  defection,  when  a  new  king,  that  is,  Jeroboam,  was 
elected  by  them.     For  though  it  was  done  according  to  the 
certain  purpose  of  God,  as  we  have  elsewhere  observed,  yet 
this  availed  nothing  to  alleviate  the  fault  of  the  people  ;  for  ^ 
they,  as  far  as  they  could,  renounced  God.     As  the  foot,  if 
cut  oflF  from  the  body,  is  not  only  a  mutilated  and  useless 
member,  but  immediately  putrifies ;  so  also  was  Israel,  being 
like  a  half  part  of  a  torn  and  mutilated  body;  and  they 
must  have  become  putrified,  had  they  not  been  miraculously- 
preserved.     But  at  the  same  time  God  here  justly  condemns 
that  defection,  that  Israel,  by  desiring  a  new  king,  had  broken 
asunder  the  sacred  unity  of  the  Church,  and  introduced  an 
impious  separation. 

These  are  the  princes,  of  whom  thou  hast  said,  Give  me  a  king 

and  princes.     I  gave  to  thee  in  my  wrath,  and  took  away  in  my 

fury ;  that  is,  "  It  was  a  cursed  beginning,  and  it  shall  be  a 


470  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT,  XXXV. 

cursed  end ;  for  the  election  of  Jeroboam  was  not  lawful ;  but 
through  an  impious  wilfulness,  the  people  then  rebelled  against 
me,  when  they  revolted  from  the  family  of  David."     Nothing 
successful  could  then  proceed  from  so  unauspicious  a  begin- 
ning.    For  it  is. only  then  an  auspicious  token,  when  we 
obey  God,  when  his  Spirit  presides  over  our  counsels,  when 
we  ask  at  his  mouth,  and  when  we  begin  with  prayer  to  him. 
But  when  we  despise  the  word  of  God,  and  give  loose  reins  to 
our  own  humour,  and  fix  on  whatever  pleases  us,  it  cannot  be 
but  that  an  unhappy  and  disastrous  issue  wiU  follow.     God 
therefore  says,  that  he  gave  them  a  king  in  his  wrath ;  as 
though  he  said,  "  Ye  think  that  you  have  done  nobly,  when 
Jeroboam  was  raised  to  the  throne,  that  he  might  become 
eminent :  for  the  kino-dom  of  Judah  was  then  far  inferior  to 
that  of  Israel,  which  not  only  excelled  in  power,  but  also  in 
the  number  of  its  subjects.     Ye  think  that  you  were  then 
happy,  because  Jeroboam  ruled  over  you :  but  he  was  given 
you  in  the  anger   and  ivrath  of  God,"  saith  the  Prophet. 
"  But  God  commanded  Jeroboam  to  be  anointed."     True,  it 
was  so :  but  this,  says  God,  I  did  in  my  wrath ;   and  now  I 
tvill  take  away  in  my  fury ;  that  is,  "  I  will  deprive  you  of 
that  kingdom  which  I  see  is  the  cause  of  your  blindness.  For 
if  that  kingdom  remains  entire,  I  shall  be  nothing,  the  au- 
thority of  my  word  will  be  of  no  weight  among  you.     It  is 
then  necessary  that  this  kingdom  should  be  wholly  subverted ; 
for  ye  began  to  be  unhappy  as  soon  as  ye  sought  a  new 
king." 

We  now  understand  what  the  Prophet  means.  At  the 
same  time,  we  learn  from  this  passage,  that  God  so  executes 
his  judgments,  that  whatever  evil  there  is,  it  ought  to  be 
ascribed  to  men.  For  the  raising  of  Jeroboam  to  the  king- 
dom, we  certainly  allow  to  have  been  rash  and  unjust ;  for 
thereby  was  violated  that  celestial  decree  made  known  to 
David,  '  My  Son  art  thou,  I  have  this  day  begotten  thee. 
Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  Gentiles,'  &c.,  (Psal.  ii. 
8.)  But  who  appointed  Jeroboam  to  be  king  ?  The  Lord 
himself.  How  could  it  be,  that  God  raised  Jeroboam  to  the 
throne,  and  that  he  yet  by  his  decree  set  David,  not  only 
over  the  children  of  Abraham,  but  also  over  the  Gentiles, 


CHAP.  XIII.  12,  13.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  471 

with  reference  to  Christ  who  was  to  come  ?  God  seems  here 
to  be  inconsistent  with  himself.  By  no  means ;  for  when  he 
set  David  over  his  chosen  people,  it  was  a  lawful  appoint- 
ment :  but  when  he  raised  Jeroboam  to  the  throne,  it  was  a 
singular  judgment ;  so  that  in  God  there  is  no  inconsistency. 
The  people  at  the  same  time,  who  by  their  suffrages  adopted 
Jeroboam  and  made  him  their  king,  acted  impiously  and  per- 
versely. "  Yet  God  seems  to  have  directed  the  whole  by  his 
providence."  True  ;  for  before  the  people  knew  any  thing 
of  the  new  king,  God  had  already  determined  to  elect  him, 
and  resolved  also  to  punish  in  this  way  the  defection  and  in- 
gratitude of  Solomon.  All  these  things  are  true,  that  is, 
that  God  by  his  secret  counsel  had  directed  the  whole  busi- 
ness, and  yet  that  he  had  no  participation  in  the  sin  of  the 
people. 

Thus  let  us  learn  wisely  to  admire  the  secret  judgments  of 
God,  and  not  imitate  those  profane  cavillers,  who  make  a 
great  noise,  because  they  cannot  understand  how  God  thus 
makes  use  of  wicked  men,  and  how  he  directs  for  the  best 
end  what  is  done  by  men  wickedly  and  foolishly.  As  they 
do  not  perceive  this,  they  conclude  that  if  the  Lord  governs 
all  things,  he  must  be  the  author  of  sin.  But  the  Scripture, 
as  we  see,  when  it  speaks  of  the  wrath  and  fury  of  God,  does 
at  the  same  time  set  forth  to  us  his  rectitude  in  all  his  judg- 
ments, and  distinguishes  between  God  and  men,  even  as  the 
difference  is  great ;  for  God  does  not  turn  the  perverse  designs 
of  men  to  answer  their  own  ends — he  is  a  just  judge.  And 
yet  his  purpose  is  not  always  apparent  to  us :  it  is,  however, 
our  duty  reverently  and  with  chastened  minds  to  admire  and 
adore  those  mysteries  which  surpass  our  comprehension.  It 
follows — 

12.  The  iniquityofEphraim  is  bound  12.  Obsignatum  est  peccatura 
up ;  his  sin  is  hid.  Ephraim  {vel,  obsignata  est  iui- 

quitas    Ephraim;)    reconditum 
peccatum  ejus. 

13.  The  son'ows  of  a  travailing  wo-  13.  Dolores  parturientis  veni- 
man  shall  come  upon  him :  he  is  an  un-  ent  ei ;  ipse  filius  insipiens  (non 
wise  son ;  for  he  should  not  stay  long  in  sapiens,)  quia  tempore  non  staret 
the  place  o/ breaking  forth  of  children,     in  ruptm'a  filionim  (ad  verbum.) 

He  says,  first,  that  sealed  is  the  iniquity  of  Ephraim,  and  that 


472  TUE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXV. 

hidden  is  his  sin;  by  which  words  he  means,  that  hypocrites 
in  vain  flatter  themselves  while  God  suspends  his  vengeance ; 
for  though  he  may  connive  for  a  time,  yet  he  does  not  sleep ; 
nor  ought  it  to  be  believed  that  he  is  blind,  but  he  seals  up 
the  sins  of  men,  ,and  keeps  them  inclosed  until  the  proper 
time  for  revealing^  them  shall  come.  This  is  the  chief  point ; 
but  the  Prophet  has  expressed  something  more.  For  as 
Jeremiah  says,  '  The  sin  of  Judah  is  written  with  a  pen  of 
iron,  with  the  point  of  a  diamond,'  (Jer.  xvii.  1;)  so  now 
also  does  Hosea  say,  that  the  iniquity  of  Ephraim  was  sealed 
up.  For  writings  may  perish,  when  they  spread  abroad : 
but  what  is  laid  up  and  put  under  a  seal  always  remains. 
What,  then,  Hosea  now  means  is,  that  the  people  flattered 
themselves  in  vain,  while  a  truce  was  granted  them;  for  the 
Lord  kept  their  sins  under  his  seal ;  as  though  he  said,  "  God 
forgets  not  your  iniquity :  as  he,  however,  spares  you  only 
for  a  time,  it  would  be  far  better  to  suffer  immediate  punish- 
ment, for  thus  the  memory  of  your  sin  would  pass  away ;  but 
he  now  carefully  keeps  all  your  iniquities  as  it  wei'e  under 
seal,  and  your  sins  are  laid  up  in  store." 

We  now  see  that  what  the  Prophet  means  in  this  verse  is, 
that  the  Israelites  had  made  such  advances  in  their  sins,  that 
now  no  pardon  or  remission  could  be  hoped  for.  "  God  then 
shall  never  be  propitious  to  you,  for  your  sin  is  sealed  upV 
And  this  sentence  applies  to  all  those  who  disguise  them- 
selves before  God,  when  he  does  not  severely  treat  them,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  kindly  sustains  and  bears  with  them.  Since, 
then,  they  thus  disappointed  his  forbearance,  it  was  necessary 
that  this  should  befall  them,  that  he  should  seal  up  their 
iniquities,  and  keep  inclosed  their  sins. 

He  afterwards  says,  that  the  sorrows  of  one  in  travail  would 
come  on  this  proud  and  rebellious  people.  He  pursues  the 
same  subject,  but  under  another  figure;  for  by  the  sorrows 
of  one  in  travail  he  points  out  the  sudden  destruction  which 
befalls  careless  men.  And  this  mode  of  speaking  is  common 
in  Scripture.  There  will  come  then  the  sorroics  of  one  in  travail 
on  these  men;  that  is,  "  As  they  promise  to  themselves  con- 
tinual peace,  and  are  not  awakened  by  any  threatenings,  and 
as  they  proudly  despise  both  my  hand  and  my  word,  a  sudden 


CHAP.  XIII.  12,  13.    COMMENTAEIES  ON  IIOSEA.  473 

destruction  shall  crush  them."    Thus  much  as  to  the  beginning 
of  the  verse,  There  shall  come  on  them  the  sorrows  of  one  in  travail. 

He  then  adds,  He  is  an  unwise  son,  that  is,  he  is  altogether 
foolish.  Here  God  reprobates  the  extreme  madness  of  the 
people  of  Israel,  as  though  he  had  said,  "  If  any  particle  of 
sound  understanding  remained  in  this  people,  they  would  at 
least  perceive  the  judgment  which  is  impending;  and  there 
would  then  be  some  hope  of  a  remedy:  but  this  people  are 
now  wholly  infatuated."  And  this  proves  their  folly,  for  they 
ought  not,  he  says,  to  stay  in  the  breaking  forth  of  children. 
This  clause,  however,  some  interpreters  explain  thus,  "  The 
time  will  come,  they  will  not  stay  in  the  breaking  forth  of 
children."  But  rather  the  contrary  is  meant  by  the  words ; 
for  the  Prophet  means,  that  when  the  time  of  birth  came,  the 
people  would  stop  in  the  breaking  forth ;  which  they  Avould 
not  do,  were  they  endued  with  a  right  and  sound  mind. 

It  must  be  noticed,  that  the  Prophet  alludes  to  the  time  of 
birth;  for  he  had  said  before,  that  the  sorrows  of  one  in 
travail  would  come  on  the  people  of  Israel;  he  now  declares 
that  these  sorrows  Avould  be  fatal.  Though  a  woman  be  in 
labour  and  in  great  danger  in  giving  birth,  she  is  yet  freed 
in  a  moment,  and  as  Christ  says,  joy  and  gladness  arise  from 
that  sorrow,  (John  xvi.  21.)  But  the  Prophet  says  that  this 
bringing  forth  would  be  very  diiferent ;  for  it  would  be  an 
abortion,  and  the  child  would  be  retained  to  putrify  in  the 
womb.  If  a  woman  in  the  very  birth  restrains  effoi't  and 
shrinks  in  her  strength,  she  destroys  the  child  and  herself  at 
the  same  time;  for  she  cannot  bring  forth  without  exertion. 
Since  then  the  safety  of  the  woman  depends  on  the  exertion 
made,  the  Prophet  now  says,  that  the  contrary  would  be  the 
case  with  the  people  of  Israel.  They  are,  he  says,  like  a 
woman  in  travail;  but  they  are  at  the  same  time  blinded 
with  folly,  for  they  retain  the  child  in  the  Avomb  and  make 
no  effort :  so  this  parturition  must  at  last  be  fatal  to  them. 
Why  ?    Because  they  make  no  effort  to  bring  forth  the  child. 

The  Prophet  by  these  figurative  representations  no  doubt 
glances  at  the  obstinate  hardness  of  the  people;  for  when  they 
ought  to  bewail  and  humble  themselves  under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God,  we  know  how  perversely  they  hardened  them- 


474  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.       LECT.  XXXV. 

« 

selves  against  all  punishment.  Since,  then,  this  people  did 
thus  as  it  were  champ  the  bridle,  and  at  the  same  time  make 
hard  their  heart,  partly  by  their  fierce  temper,  partly  by 
stupidity,  partly  by  desperation,  it  was  no  wonder  that  the 
Prophet  said  that  they  were  an  unwise  and  insane  people, 
for  they  stayed  at  the  breaking  forth  of  children;  that  is,  they 
made  no  effort  to  obtain  the  wished-for  end  to  their  evils. 
For  when  the  Lord  afflicts  us,  and  we  bring  forth,  this  bring- 
ing forth  is  our  deliverance.  Now,  how  can  there  be  deliver- 
ance except  we  hate  ourselves  for  our  sins,  except  we  raise 
up  our  minds  to  God,  and  thus  open  a  passage  for  God's 
grace?  But  when  we  oppose  God  pertinaciously  through 
our  fierceness  and  stupidity,  it  is  the  same  as  if  one  closed  up 
every  avenue.  We  now  then  see  how  appropriate  is  this 
metaphor  used  by  the  Prophet,  when  he  says  that  the  people 
were  mad;  for  when  the  time  of  bringing  forth  came,  they 
stayed  in  the  breaking  forth;  that  is,  at  the  opening  of  the 
womb,  for  this  is  what  the  Prophet  means  by  the  word. 
Since  then  they  stayed  in  the  very  opening,  and  restrained, 
as  it  were,  every  effort,  and  ceased  from  all  strivings,  they 
must  have  perished.  We  now  see  what  the  obstinacy  of  men 
produces,  when  they  harden  themselves,  when  they  thus  con- 
tract, as  it  were,  within  narrow  limits  their  heart  and  mind 
and  all  their  faculties.  For  when  a  woman  who  is  in  travail 
restrains  all  efforts,  she  wilfully  seeks  death  for  herself:  so 
they  do  the  same  who  harden  themselves  against  all  punish- 
ments, and  especially  when  the  time  of  birth  is  come;  and  to 
this  the  word,  breaking  forth,  refers :  for  when  the  Lord 
strikes  us  not  only  once,  but  continues  to  lay  on  us  many 
stripes,  so  that  we  must  either  repent  or  perish  for  ever,  it  is 
the  ripened  time  for  bringing  forth ;  for  God  then  leads  us  to 
an  extremity,  and  nothing  remains  for  us  but  to  humble  our- 
selves under  his  mighty  hand  or  to  perish.  The  Prophet  then 
calls  that  condition,  the  breaking  forth,  in  which  obstinate 
men  continue,  who  will  not  obey  God.  It  is  necessary  to 
join  with  these  verses  the  two  which  follow :  this  I  shall  do 
to-morrow. 


CHAP.  XIII.  14.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  475 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  thou  hast  given  us  thy  only-be- 
gotten Son  to  rule  us,  and  hast  by  thy  good  pleasure  conse- 
crated him  a  King  over  us,  that  we  may  be  perpetually  safe 
and  secure  under  his  hand  against  all  the  attempts  of  the  devil 
and  of  the  whole  world, — O  grant,  that  we  may  suiFer  our- 
selves to  be  ruled  by  his  authority,  and  so  conduct  ourselves, 
that  he  may  ever  continue  to  watch  for  our  safety:  and  as  thou 
hast  committed  us  to  him,  that  he  may  be  the  guardian  of  our 
salvation,  so  also  suffer  us  not  either  to  turn  aside  or  to  fall,  but 
preserve  us  ever  in  his  service,  until  we  be  at  length  gathered 
into  that  blessed  and  everlasting  kingdom,  which  has  been  pro- 
cured for  us  by  the  blood  of  thy  only  Son.    Amen. 


Hccture  ^i)ixt^mxt\), 

14.  I  will  ransom  them  from  14.  E  manu  sepulchri  redimam  eos, 

the  power  of  the  grave;  I  will  a  morte  redimam  (est  quidemaliudver- 

redeem    them    fi"om    death:    O  bum,sedutrumquesiffni/icatre(\\mere:^ 

death,  I  will  be  thy  plagues;  ero  perditio  tua,^mors:  eroexcisio  tua 

O  grave,  I  will  be  thy  clestruc-  (vel^  interitus  tuus)  sepulchrum  (vel, 

tion :   repentance  shall    be    hid  inferne :)  consolatio  (vel,  pceniteutia) 

from  mine  eyes.  abscondita  est  ab  oculis  meis. 

The  Prophet,  I  doubt  not,  continues  here  the  same  subject, 
namely,  that  the  Israehtes  could  not  bear  the  mercy  offered 
to  them  by  God;  though  he  speaks  here  more  fully.  God 
seems  to  promise  redemption,  but  he  does  this  condition- 
ally: they  are  then  mistaken,  in  my  judgment,  who  take 
these  words  in  the  same  sense  as  when  God,  after  having 
reproved  and  threatened,  mitigates  the  severity  of  his  instruc- 

1  "Very  many  MSS.  and  some  editions  read  y^^l ;  and  -)21  in  Hebrew 
is  to  destroy,  to  subdue." — Newcome. 

This  passage  presents  an  instance  of  that  useless  kind  of  criticism,  by 
which  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  introduce  a  verbal  agreement  be- 
tween sentences  in  the  Old  Testament  and  the  supposed  quotations  of  them 
in  the  New.   The  apostles  had  more  regard  to  the  meaning  than  to  words. 

Horsley  has  a  long  note  on  the  two  words  im,  perdition  or  destruction, 
and  nop7  excision  or  extirpation ;  and  he  renders  the  first  by  "  pestilence,'' 
and  the  second  by  "biu*ning  plague."  That  the  words  are  so  used  he 
proves  satisfactorily.  But  when  applied  to  death  and  the  grave,  they  of 
com-se  can  retain  only  their  leadhig  idea  of  somethmg  destructive,  ex- 
tirpating, and  ruinous.  Words  in  all  languages  have  their  primary  and 
secondary  meanings :  and  to  retain  the  primary  meaning  in  a  translation 
would  often  be  very  improper.  Calvin  has  in  this  instance  showed  more 
judgment  than  the  Bishop. 


476  TUE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.        LECT.  XXXVI. 

tion,  and  adds  consolation  by  offering  his  grace.  But  the 
import  of  this  passage  is  different;  for  God,  as  we  have 
already  said,  does  not  here  simply  promise  salvation,  but 
shows  tliat  he  is  indeed  ready  to  save,  but  that  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  people,  as  it  has  been  said,  was  an  Impediment 
in  the  way.  Let  us,  however,  more  carefully  examine  the 
words. 

From  the  hand  of  the  grave,  he  says.  By  the  hand  he  doubt- 
less means  power  :  for  Jerome  does  nothing  but  trifle,  when 
he  speaks  here  of  works,  and  says  that  the  works  of  the  grave 
are  our  sins.  But  this  is  far  away  from  the  mind  of  the  Pro- 
phet. It  is  indeed  a  metaphor  common  in  Scripture,  that 
the  hand  is  put  for  power  or  authority.  Then  it  is,  /  ivill 
redeem  them  from  the  "power  of  the  grave,  I  loill  redeem  them 
from  death;  that  is,  except  they  resist,  I  will  become  willingly 
their  Redeemer.  Some  have  therefore  rendered  the  passage 
in  the  subjunctive  mood,  "From  the  hand  of  the  grave  I 
would  redeem  them,  from  death  I  would  deliver  them."  But 
there  is  no  need  to  change  the  tense,  though,  as  I  have  said, 
they  who  do  so  faithfully  set  forth  the  design  of  the  Prophet. 
But  lest  any  one  say  that  this  is  too  remote  from  the  words, 
the  text  of  the  Prophet  may  be  very  well  understood,  though 
the  future  tense  be  preserved.  /  tcill  then  redeem  them,  as 
far  as  this  depends  on  me ;  for  a  condition  is  to  be  introduced, 
as  though  God  came  forth  and  declared  that  he  Avas  present 
to  fulfil  the  office  of  a  Redeemer.  What,  then,  does  stand 
in  the  way?  Even  the  hardness  of  the  people;  for  they 
would  have  preferred  to  perish  a  hundred  times  rather  than 
to  turn  to  the  Lord,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

He  afterwards  adds,  /  loill  he  thy  perdition,  O  death  ;  I  will 
be  thy  excision,  O  grave.  By  these  words  the  Prophet  more 
distinctly  sets  forth  the  power  of  God,  and  magnificently  extols 
it,  lest  men  should  think  that  there  is  no  way  open  to  him  to 
save,  when  no  hope  according  to  the  judgment  of  the  flesh 
appears.  Hence  the  Prophet  says,  "  Though  men  are  now 
dead,  there  is  yet  nothing  to  prevent  God  to  quicken  them. 
How  so  ?  For  he  is  the  ruin  of  death,  and  the  excision  of  the 
grave;''  that  is,  "Though  death  should  swallow  up  all  men, 
though  the  grave  should  consume  them,  yet  God  is  superior 


CHAP.  XIII.  14.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  477 

to  both  death  and  the  grave,  for  he  can  slay  death,  for  he  can 
abolish  the  grave."  We  now  perceive  the  real  meaning  of 
the  Prophet. 

And  we  may  learn  from  this  passage,  that  when  men  perish, 
God  still  continues  like  himself,  and  that  neither  his  power, 
by  which  he  is  mighty  to  save  the  world,  is  extinguished,  nor 
his  purpose  changed,  so  as  not  to  be  always  ready  to  help  ; 
but  that  the  obstinacy  of  men  rejects  the  grace  which  has 
been  provided,  and  which  God  willingly  and  bountifully 
offers.  This  is  one  thing.  We  may  secondly  learn,  that  the 
power  of  God  is  not  to  be  measured  by  our  rule :  were  we 
lost  a  hundred  times,  let  God  be  still  regarded  as  a  Saviour. 
Should  then  despair  at  any  time  so  cast  us  down,  that  avc 
cannot  lay  hold  on  any  of  God's  promises,  let  this  passage 
come  to  our  minds,  which  says,  that  God  is  the  excision  of 
death,  and  the  destruction  of  the  grave.  "  But  death  is  nigh 
to  us,  what  then  can  we  hope  for  any  more  ?"  This  is  to  say, 
that  God  is  not  superior  to  death :  but  Avhen  death  claims  so 
much  power  over  men,  how  much  more  power  has  God  over 
death  itself?  Let  us  then  feel  assured  that  God  is  the  destruc- 
tion of  death,  which  means  that  death  can  no  more  destroy ;  that 
is,  that  death  is  deprived  of  that  power  by  whicli  men  arc 
naturally  destroyed ;  and  that  though  we  may  lie  in  the  grave, 
God  is  yet  the  excision  of  the  grave  itself.  This  is  the  appli- 
cation of  what  is  here  taught.  But  some  one  gives  this 
version,  "  I  will  be  thy  perdition  to  deaih,"  as  if  this  was 
addressed  to  the  people  :  it  is  an  absurd  perversion  of  the 
whole  passage,  and  deprives  us  of  a  most  usefid  doctrine. 

But  many  interpreters,  thinking  thic  passage  to  be  quoted 
by  Paul,  have  explained  what  is  here  said  of  Christ,  and  have 
in  many  respects  erred.  They  have  said  first,  that  God  pro- 
mises redemption  here  without  any  condition ;  but  we  see 
that  the  design  of  the  Prophet  was  far  different.  They  have 
then  assumed,  that  this  is  said  in  the  person  of  Christ,  "  From 
the  hand  of  the  grave  will  I  redeem  them."  They  have  at 
the  same  time  thought,  with  too  much  refinement,  that  [the 
grave  or]  hell  is  put  for  the  torments  with  which  the  reprobate 
are  visited,  or  for  the  place  itself  where  they  are  tormented. 
But  the  Prophet  repeats  the  same  thing  in  different  Avords, 
and  well  known  is  this  character  of  the  Hebrew  style.     Th 


478  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.      LECT.  XXXVI. 

grave  then  here  differs  not  from  death ;  though  Jerome  labours 
and  contends  that  the  grave  means  what  is  wholly  different 
from  death  :  but  the  whole  of  what  he  says  is  frivolous.  They 
have  then  been  deceived  as  to  these  Avords.  And  then  into 
the  words  of  the  Prophet,  "  I  will  be  thy  excision,  0  hell,  (or 
grave,")  they  have  introduced  the  word,  bait,  and  have  alle- 
gorically  explained  it  of  Christ,  that  he  was  like  a  hook :  for 
as  a  Avorm,  when  fastened  to  the  hook,  and  swallowed  by  a 
fish,  becomes  death  to  it ;  so  also  Christ,  as  they  have  said, 
Avhen  committed  to  the  sepulchre,  became  a  fatal  bait ;  for  as 
the  fish  are  taken  by  the  hook,  so  death  was  taken  by  the 
bait  of  the  death  of  Christ.  And  these  vain  subtiltics  have 
been  received  with  great  applause  :  hence  under  the  whole 
Papacy  it  is  received  without  doubt  as  a  divine  truth,  that 
Christ  was  the  bait  of  death.  But  yet  let  any  one  narrowly 
examine  the  words  of  the  Prophet,  and  he  will  see  that  they 
have  ignorantly  and  shamefully  abused  the  testimony  of  the 
Prophet.  And  we  ought  especially  to  take  care,  that  the 
meaning  of  Scripture  should  be  preserved  true  and  certain. 

But  let  us  see  what  to  answer  to  that  which  is  said  of  Paul 
quoting  this  passage.  The  solution  is  not  difficult.  The 
Apostles  do  not  avowedly  at  all  times  adduce  passages,  which 
in  their  whole  context  apply  to  the  subject  they  handle ;  but 
sometimes  they  allude  to  a  word  only,  sometimes  they  apply 
a  passage  to  a  subject  in  the  way  of  resemblance,  and  some- 
times they  bring  forward  passages  as  testimonies.  When 
the  Apostles  use  the  testimonies  of  Scripture,  then  the  genuine 
and  real  truth  must  be  sought  out ;  but  when  they  glance  only 
at  one  word,  there  is  no  occasion  to  make  any  anxious  inquiry; 
and  when  they  quote  any  passage  of  Scripture  in  the  way  of 
resemblance,  it  is  a  too  scrupulous  anxiety  to  seek  out  how  all 
the  parts  agree.  But  it  is  quite  evident  that  Paul,  in  1  Cor. 
XV.,  has  not  quoted  the  testimony  of  the  Prophet  for  the  pur- 
pose of  confirming  the  doctrine  of  which  he  speaks.^  What 
then  ?  As  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh  was  a  truth  very  dif- 
ficult to  be  believed,  nay,  wholly  contrary  to  the  judgment  of 
nature,  Paul  says  that  it  is  no  matter  of  wonder,  inasmuch  as 

'  "The  Apostle's  triumphant  exclamation,  '  O  death,'  &c.,  is  an  allu- 
sion indeed  to  tliis  text  of  Ilosca,  an  indirect  allusion,  but  no  citation  of 
it." — Bishop  Ilorslcij. 


CHAP.  XIII.  14.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  479 

Christ  will  come  to  raise  us.  How  so  ?  Because  it  is  the 
peculiar  prerogative  of  God  to  be  the  perdition  of  death  and 
the  destruction  of  the  grave  ;  as  though  he  said,  "Were  men 
to  putrify  a  thousand  times,  God  would  still  retain  that 
power  of  which  he  declared  when  he  said,  that  he  would  be  the 
ruin  of  death  and  the  destruction  of  the  grave."  Let  us  then 
know,  that,  though  the  judgment  of  nature  rejects  the  truth, 
yet  God  is  endued  with  that  incomprehensible  power  by  which 
he  can  raise  us  from  a  state  of  putrefaction ;  nay,  since  he 
created  the  world  from  nothing,  he  will  also  raise  us  up  from 
the  grave,  for  he  is  the  death  of  death,  the  grave  of  the  grave, 
the  ruin  of  ruin,  and  the  destruction  of  destruction :  and  the 
simple  object  of  Paul  is,  to  extol  by  these  striking  words  that 
incredible  power  of  God,  which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  human 
understanding. 

Now  were  any  one  to  quote  for  the  same  purpose  this  place 
from  the  Psalms,  '  The  Lord's  are  the  issues  of  death,* 
(Psalm  Ixviii.  20,)  would  it  be  needful  to  inquire  in  what 
sense  David  said  this,  or  of  what  time  he  speaks  ?  By  no 
means  ;  but  what  is  spoken  of  is  the  unchangeable  preroga- 
tive and  power  of  God,  of  which  he  can  never  be  deprived. 
So  also  in  this  place  we  see  what  he  declares  by  Hosea,  and 
what  he  would  have  done,  had  there  not  been  an  obstacle 
in  the  ingratitude  of  the  people ;  for  he  says,  /  will  be  thy 
ruin^  O  grave ;  I  will  he  thy  death,  O  death.  And  since  God 
has  promised  this,  let  us  feel  assured  that  we  shall  at  last  find 
this  to  be  true  as  to  ourselves.  We  now  then  perceive  how 
the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet  agrees  with  the  subject 
handled  by  Paul. 

It  now  follows,  consolation,  or,  repentance,  is  hid  from  my 
eyes;  for  DhJ)  nuchem,  means  both.  DH^j  nnchem,  signifies 
to  repent,  and  it  signifies  to  receive  consolation.  If  the  term, 
consolation,  be  approved,  the  sense  will  be,  "  There  is  no  rea- 
son for  any  one  to  wonder  that  I  speak  so  sharply,  and  do  no- 
thing but  thunder  against  my  people ;  for  consolation  has  now 
no  place  among  them ;  therefore  consolation  is  hid  from  my 
eyes."  And  this  was  the  case,  because  the  irreclaimable 
wickedness  of  the  people  did  not  allow  God  to  change  his 
severity  into  mildness,  so  as  to  give  any  hope  of  pardon  and 


480  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.      LECT.  XXXVI. 

salvation.  In  this  sense  then  It  is  said  that  consolation  was 
hid  from  his  eyes.  But  if  the  word,  repentance,  be  more 
approved,  it  will  show  exactly  the  same  thing, — that  it  was 
fully  determined  to  destroy  that  people.  "  There  is  then  no 
reason  for  you  to  hope  that  I  can  become  milder  in  course  of 
time ;  for  repentance  is  hid  from  mine  eyes.  This  shall 
remain  fixed,  you  shall  be  reduced  to  nothing ;  for  ye  are 
past  all  hope."  We  then  see  that  both  the  words  refer  to  the 
same  thing,  that  God  takes  away  from  this  miserable  and 
reprobate  people  every  hope  of  salvation.     Now  it  follows — 

15.  Though  he  be  fruitful  15.  Quia  ipse  inter  fi-atresfructum  faciet 

among  Ms  brethren,  an  east  {vel^  augescet ;  vel.,  Quanvis  ipse  inter  fra- 

wind  shall  come,  the  wind  tres  suos  augescat :  aliiputant  Q^riUpositum 

of  the  Lord  shall  come  up  esse  pro  D'''inXi  inter  germina:   sed  nimis 

from     the   wilderness,    and  coacta  est  interpretatio.  Legamus  igitur  sim- 

liis  spring  shall  become  dry,  pliciter  ut  verba  sonant^  Ipse  inter  fratres- 

and   his   fountain  shall   be  augescet ;)  veniet  ventus  orientalis,  ventus 

dried  up :  he  shall  spoil  the  Jehovae  a  deserto  ascendens,  et  arefaciet 

treasure  of  all  pleasant  ves-  venam  ejus,  et  siccabitur  fons  ejus  :  ipse  di- 

sels.  ripiet  thesaurum  omnis  vasis  desiderabills. 

God  again  confirms  what  had  been  said,  that  Israel  in  vain 
trusted  in  their  strength  and  fortresses,  and  that  certain 
destruction  w^as  nigh  them  on  account  of  their  sins,  which 
they  followed  without  any  limits  or  restraint.  But  the  Pro- 
phet begins  with  these  words.  He  among  brethren  icill  increase. 
He  alludes,  I  doubt  not,  (as  other  interpreters  have  also 
noticed,)  to  the  blessing  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  which  is 
mentioned  in  Gen.  xlviii.;  for  we  know  that  though  Ephraim 
was  the  younger,  he  was  yet  placed  first  by  Jacob,  so  that 
he  was  preferred  in  honour  to  his  brother,  who  was  the  first- 
born :  and  further,  the  prophecy,  we  know,  which  Jacob  then 
announced,  was  really  fulfilled ;  for  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  ex- 
celled, both  in  number  and  in  other  respects,  all  the  rest,  except 
only  the  tribe  of  Judah.  Ephraim  had  evidently  gained  high 
eminence  among  the  whole  people.  But  when  he  ought  to 
have  ascribed  all  this  to  the  gratuitous  goodness  of  God,  he 
became  inflated  with  pride.  This  ingratitude  the  Prophet 
now  reproves.  He,  he  says,  among  his  brethren  loill  increase : 
but  whence  this  increase?  Whence  was  this  so  great  a 
dignity,  except  that  he  was  preferred  to  Manasseh,  who  by 
right  of  nature  was  the  first  ?     Now  it  was  not  enough  for 


CHAP.  XIII.  15.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSE  A.  481 

this  wretched  people  to  forget  so  great  a  favour  of  God, 
without  at  the  same  tmie  abusuig  their  wealth  in  fostering 
pride,  and  without  hardening  themselves  in  contempt  of  God. 
For  whence  came  so  great  an  audacity  in  their  rebellion, 
whence  so  great  stupidity  and  so  great  a  madness  as  to  despise 
the  judgment  of  God,  except  from  this — that  they  had  in- 
creased among  their  brethren  ? 

Though,  then,  he  increases  among  his  brethren,  yet  there 
shall  come  an  east  windy  the  xoind  of  Jehovah^  lohich  shall  dry  his 
spring,  and  his  fountain  shall  be  dried  up.  Here  God  declares 
what  had  been  before  mentioned,  that  it  was  in  his  power  to 
take  away  from  the  people  of  Israel  what  he  had  gratuitously 
bestowed,  as  he  could  dry  up  the  fountains  whenever  he 
wished.  And  he  applies  a  most  suitable  similitude.  As  the 
east  wind,  he  says,  drys  and  burns  up,  and  if  it  long  pre- 
vails, the  fountains  will  be  dried  up ;  so  will  I,  he  says,  dry  up 
all  the  springs  of  Ephraim.  Whether  or  not  he  thinks  that 
he  possesses  more  vigour  than  fountains,  which  have  an  ex- 
haustless  source,  it  is  certain  that  fountains  dry  up  whenever 
it  so  pleases  me.  /  will  then  dry  up  the  springs  and  fountains 
of  Ephraim :  though  he  thinks  that  he  draws  from  a  deep  foun- 
tain, yet  the  wind,  when  it  shall  rise,  will  dry  up  his  whole  vigour 
and  moisture.     We  now  understand  what  the  Prophet  means. 

Now  as  to  the  w^ords,  some  render  D''*lpj  kodim,  impro- 
perly, the  south  wind ;  for  it  means  the  east  wind :  and  then 
others  incorrectly  explain  the  wind  of  Jehovah,  as  meaning  a 
strong  wind.  I  indeed  allow  that  what  is  unusual  is  often 
said  to  be  divine ;  but  in  this  place  the  Prophet  intended  to 
express,  that  God  has  winds  ever  ready,  by  which  he  can 
dry  up  whatever  vigour  there  may  be  or  seem  to  be  in  men. 
Hence  the  name  of  Jehovah  is  set  in  opposition  to  natural 
causes  or  means.  It  shall  not  then  be  a  fortuitous  wind  that 
shall  dry  up  the  springs  of  Ephraim,  but  one  raised  up  by 
the  counsel  and  certain  purpose  of  God ;  as  though  he  said, 
"  This  wind  will  be  the  scourge  of  God." 

We  are  then  taught  here,  that  when  God  for  a  time  blesses 

us,  we  must  beware  lest  we  abuse  his  favour  and  entertain  a 

false  confidence,  as  we  see  that  Ephraim  had  done :  for  he 

flourished  among  his  brethren,  and  then  raised  up  his  head ; 

VOL.  I.  2  H 


482  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVI. 

and  thus  he  obliterated  God's  favour  through  his  pride  and 
haughtiness.     We  ought  then,  when  prosperous,  ever  to  fear, 
lest  something  like   this   should  happen  to  us.     The  more 
kindly  then  God  deals  with  us,  the  more  constantly  ought  we 
to  be  roused  up  tq  pray  to  him,  that  he  may  be  pleased  to 
carry  on  his  work  to  the  end,  lest  we  slumber  in  our  enjoy- 
ments while  God  is  indulgent  to  us.     This,  in  the  first  place, 
we  ought  to  bear  in  mind.      Then  we  must  also  notice  the 
warning  of  the  Prophet,  that  God  can  suddenly,  and,  as  it 
were,  in  a  moment,  upset  the  prosperity  of  men,  that  there 
is  nothing  in  this  world  which  cannot  be  immediately  changed, 
whenever  God  withdraws  from  us  his  favour.     This  compari- 
son then  ought  often  to  occur  to  us  ;  Avhen  the  air  is  tranquil, 
when  the  season  is  quiet,  a  wind  will  in  a  moment  rise  up, 
which  will  dry  the  earth,  which  will  also  make  dry  the  foun- 
tains ;  and  yet  the  vigour  of  fountains  seems  to  be  perpetual ; 
what  then  may  not  happen  to  us  ?     Cannot  the  Lord  at  any 
moment  make  us  dry,  since  we  have  in  ourselves  no  source  of 
strength  ?     He  might  indeed  have  said  in  this  place  what  we 
find  in  the  fortieth  chapter  of  Isaiah,  that  man  is  like  the 
iiower  that  soon  fadeth ;  but  he  intended  to  express  some- 
thing more  profound ;  for  this  people,  being  deeply  fixed  in 
their  own  strength,  thought  that  they  were  supplied  by  ex- 
haustless  fountains,  and  that  their  vigour  could  not  be  dried 
up :  hence  he  says,  "  Though  thou  hast  fountains  and  springs, 
yet  God  will  dry  thee  up  ;  for  he  wiU  find  a  wind  that  has 
power,  as  experience  proves,  to  dry  up  springs  and  fountains." 
But  it  follows.   It  will  rob  the  treasure  of  every  desirable 
vessel.      This  may  seem  to  be  improperly  applied  to  wind ; 
but  yet  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet  is  sufficiently  clear,  even 
this,   that  nothing  shall  remain  untouched  in  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim,  when  the  Lord  shall  raise  up  his  wind.     "How- 
ever hidden,"  he  seems  to  say,  ''  your  treasures  may  be,  yet 
this  wind  shall  penetrate  into  the  inmost  recesses,  so  that 
nothing  shall  be  safe  from  its  violence."      In  short,  the  Pro- 
phet means,  that  the  force  of  God's  vengeance  would  be  so 
violent,  that  Ephraim  could  not  be  secure  in  any  of  his  for- 
tresses ;  for  the  wind  of  God  would  penetrate  unto  the  very 
inmost  springs  of  the  earth.  This  is  the  meaning.  It  follows — 


CHAP.  XIII.  16.     COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  483 

16.  Samaria  shall  become  desolate;  for        16.  Desolabitm- Samaria, 

she  hath  rebelled  against  her  God  :  they  quia     exacerbavit     Deum 

shall  fall  bj  the  sword  :  their  infants  shall  suum  :    in   giadio    cadent ; 

be  dashed  in  pieces,  and  their  women  with  parvuli    eorum    allidentux-, 

child  shall  be  ripped  up.  gravidas  eorum  scindentur. 

This  is  the  conclusion  of  the  discourse  :  this  verse  has  then 
been  improperly  separated  from  the  former  chapter  ;^  for  the 
Prophet  enters  not  here  on  a  new  subject,  but  only  confirms 
what  he  had  said  of  the  ultimate  destruction  of  Samaria  and 
of  the  whole  kingdom.  Samaria  then  shall  be  desolated;  as 
though  he  said,  "  I  have  already  often  denounced  on  you  what 
you  believe  not,  that  destruction  is  nigh  at  hand ;  of  this  be 
now  persuaded  ;  but  if  you  believe  not,  God  will  yet  execute 
what  he  has  determined,  and  what  he  now  pronounces  by  my 
mouth."  At  the  same  time  he  adds  the  cause.  For  they  have 
provoked  their  God.  That  they  might  not  complain  that  they 
were  severely  dealt  with,  he  says,  that  they  only  suffered  the 
punishment  which  they  deserved.  He  also  specifies  the  kind 
of  destruction  that  was  to  be.  They  shall  fall  hy  the  swordy 
their  children  shall  be  dashed  in  pieces,  and  their  pregnant  loomen 
shall  be  torn  asunder,  that  the  child  may  be  extracted  from 
the  womb.  In  saying  that  the  citizens  of  Samaria,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  whole  country,  shall  fall  by  the  sword,  he 
doubtless  intimates  that  God  would  make  use  of  this  kind  of 
punishment  by  sending  for  enemies,  who  would  consign  them 
to  destruction. 

We  now  then  see  what  is  included  in  the  words  of  the 
Prophet.  He  first  shows  that  it  was  all  over  with  Samaria 
and  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel ;  as  God  could  by  no  means 
bring  them  to  repentance,  he  would  now  take  vengeance  on 
so  desperate  an  obstinacy.  He  afterwards  shows  that  God 
would  do  this  justly,  because  he  had  been  provoked;  and, 
lastly,  he  shows  what  kind  their  punishment  would  be.  That 
they  might  not  think  that  the  Assyrians  would  come  by 
chance,  the  Prophet  says  that  this  army,  which  was  to  invade 
and  destroy  the  country  of  Samaria,  would  be,  as  it  were,  con- 
ducted by  the  hand  of  God  ;  for  though  the  Assyrians  wished 

^  The  fourteenth  cliapter  begins  in  the  original  with  this  verse ;  but  it 
has  been  thought  better  to  retain  the  division  of  our  own  version. 


484  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVI. 

to  extend  their  own  borders,  and  were  influenced  by  their 
own  avarice  and  cupidity,  yet  God  would  use  them  as  instru- 
ments to  execute  his  own  judgment ;  and  that  they  might 
know  how  dreadful  the  vengeance  would  be,  he  relates  two 
kinds  of  evils, — that  their  children  would  be  dashed  in  pieces, 
and  that  their  women  would  be  rent  asunder,  and  their  off- 
spring extracted  from  their  wombs.  Even  to  speak  of  this 
is  horrible ;  and  it  is  what  never  takes  place,  except  when 
enemies  are  greatly  enraged  and  extremely  provoked.  We 
now  then  comprehend  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet. 

But  if  any  one  objects  and  says,  that  infants,  and  babes  as 
yet  concealed  in  the  wombs  of  their  mothers,  deserve  not  such 
a  grievous  punishment,  as  they  have  not  hitherto  merited 
such  a  thing ;  it  may  be  answered,  that  the  whole  human 
race  are  guilty  before  God,  so  that  infants,  though  not  yet 
come  forth  to  the  light,  are  yet  included  as  being  under 
guilt ;  so  that  God  cannot  be  charged  wdth  cruelty,  though 
he  may  use  his  own  right  towards  them.  And  further,  we 
hear  what  he  declares  in  many  places,  that  he  will  devolve 
the  sins  of  parents  on  their  children.  Since  it  is  so,  let  us 
learn  to  acquiesce  in  these  awful  judgments  of  God,  though 
very  repugnant  to  our  feelings  ;  for  we  know  that  we  must 
not  contend  with  God,  and  that  it  would  be  extreme  presump- 
tion to  do  so  ;  nay,  it  would  be  impious  audacity.  Though  then 
the  reason  for  this  punishment  may  not  appear  to  us,  we 
ought  yet  reverently  to  regard  this  judgment  of  God.  We 
may  moreover  thus  reason — If  infants  be  not  spared,  even  those 
as  yet  hid  in  the  mother's  womb,  what  will  become  of  adults? 
what  will  become  of  the  old,  who  through  their  whole  life  have 
continued  to  provoke  the  vengeance  of  God  ?  The  Lord  no 
doubt  intended  by  these  words  to  terrify  those  godless  de- 
spisers  of  his  word,  with  whom  he  had  to  do.  "  How  great 
a  judgment,"  he  says,  "  hangs  over  you,  and  how  tremendous  ! 
since  your  infants  shall  not  be  exempted  :  for  1  shall  involve 
you  in  the  same  judgment,  when  they  shall  be  dashed  against 
the  stones,  after  having  been  drawn  out  of  their  mothers'  womb. 
When  such  a  dreadful  punishment  shall  be  inflicted  on  them, 
what  shall  be  done  to  you  ?  for  the  cause  of  the  evil  exists  in 
you."  We  have  now  then  explained  this  verse.  Then  follows 
an  exhortation. 


CHAP.  XIV.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  485 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1.  O  Israel,  return  unto  the  Lord  1.  Revertere  Israel  ad  Jehovam 
thy  God ;  for  thou  hast  fallen  by  Deum  tuum  ;  quia  corruisti  in  iniqui- 
thine  iniquity.  tate  tua. 

2.  Take  with  you  words,  and  2.  Tollite  vobiscum  verba,  et  conver- 
turn  to  the  Lord:  say  unto  him,  timini  ad  Jehovam  :  et  dicite  ei,  Om- 
Take  away  all  iniquity,  and  re-  nem  toUe  iniquitatem,  et  sume  (vel^  at- 
ceive  us  graciously ;  so  will  we  tolle)  bonum ;  et  solvemus  vitulos 
render  the  calves  of  our  lips.  labiorum  nostroimm. 

Here  the  Prophet  exhorts  the  Israelites  to  repentance,  and 
still  propounds  some  hope  of  mercy.  But  this  may  seem  in- 
consistent, as  he  had  already  testified  that  there  would  be  no 
remedy  any  more,  because  they  had  extremely  provoked  God. 
The  Prophet  seems  in  this  case  to  contradict  himself.  But 
the  solution  is  ready  at  hand,  and  it  is  this, — In  speaking 
before  of  the  final  destruction  of  the  people,  he  had  respect  to 
the  whole  body  of  the  people ;  but  now  he  directs  his  dis- 
course to  the  few,  who  had  as  yet  remained  faithful.  And 
this  distinction,  as  Ave  have  reminded  you  in  other  places, 
ought  to  be  carefully  noticed;  otherwise  we  shall  find  ourselves 
perplexed  in  many  parts  of  Scripture.  We  now  then  see  for 
what  purpose  the  Prophet  annexed  this  exhortation,  afler 
having  asserted  that  God  would  be  implacable  to  the  people 
of  Israel;  for  Avith  regard  to  the  whole  body,  there  was  no 
hope  of  deliverance ;  God  had  now  indeed  determined  to 
destroy  them,  and  he  wished  this  to  be  made  known  to  them 
by  the  preaching  of  Hosea.  But  yet  God  had  ever  some  seed 
remaining  among  his  chosen  people  :  though  the  body,  as  a 
whole,  Avas  putrid  and  corrupt ;  yet  some  sound  members 
remained,  as  in  a  large  heap  of  chaff  some  grains  may  be 
found  concealed.  As  God  then  had  preserved  some,  (as  he 
is  wont  always  to  do,)  he  sets  forth  to  them  his  mercy  :  and 
as  they  had  been  carried  aAvay,  as  it  were  by  a  tempest,  when 
iniquity  so  prevailed  among  the  people,  that  there  Avas  no- 
thing sound,  the  Prophet  addresses  them  here,  because  they 
Avere  not  wholly  incurable. 

Let  us  then  know  that  the  irreclaimable,  the  whole  body 
of  the  people,  are  noAv  dismissed  ;  for  they  were  so  obstinate 
that  the  Prophet  could  address  them  with  no  prospect  of 


486  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVI. 

success.     Then  his  sermon  here  ought  to  be  especially  applied 
to  the  elect  of  God,  who,  having  fallen  away  for  a  time,  and 
become  entangled  in  the  common  vices  of  the  age,  were  yet 
not  altogether  incurable.     The  Prophet  now  exhorts  thera 
and  says,  Return,  Israel,  to  Jehovah  thy   God ;  for  thou  hast 
fallen  hy  thine  iniquity.     This  reason  is  added,  because  men 
will  never  repent  unless  they  are  made  humble ;  and  whence 
comes  true  and  genuine  humility,  except  from  a  sense  of  sin  ? 
Unless  then  men  become  displeased  with  themselves,  and  ac- 
knowledge that  they  are  worthy  of  perdition,  they  will  never 
be  touched  by  a  genuine  feeling  of  penitence.     These  two 
things  are  then  wisely  joined  together  by  Hosea,  that  Israel 
had  fallen  by  their  iniquities,   and  then,  that  it  was  time 
to  return  to  Jehovah.     How  so  ?     Because,  when  we  are 
convinced  that  we  are  worthy  of  destruction,  nay,  that  we 
are  already  doomed  to  death  for  having  so  often  provoked 
God,  then  we  begin  to  hate  ourselves  ;  and  a  detestation  of 
sin  drives  us  to  seek  repentance. 

But  he  says,  Turn  thou,  Israel,  to  thy  God.  The  Prophet 
now  kindly  invites  them ;  for  he  could  not  succeed  by  severe 
words  without  mingling  a  hope  of  favour,  as  we  know  that 
there  can  be  no  hope  of  repentance  without  faith.  Then  the 
Prophet  not  only  shows  what  was  necessary  to  be  done,  but 
says  also,  ^  Thou  art  Israel,  thou  art  an  elect  people.'  He  does 
not,  however,  as  it  has  been  already  stated,  address  all  indis- 
criminately, but  those  who  were  the  true  children  of  Abra- 
ham, though  they  had  for  a  time  degenerated.  "  Turn  thou, 
Israel,  then  to  thy  God ;  for  how  much  soever  thou  hast  for 
a  time  fallen  away,  yet  God  has  not  rejected  thee  :  only  re- 
turn to  him,  and  thou  shalt  find  favour,  for  he  is  placable  to 
his  own  people." 

He  afterwards  shows  the  way  of  repentance :  and  this 
passage  deserves  to  be  noticed ;  for  we  know  that  men  bring 
forward  mere  trifles  when  they  speak  of  repentance.  Hence 
w^hen  the  word,  repentance,  is  mentioned,  men  imagine  that 
God  is  to  be  pacified  with  this  or  that  ceremony,  as  we  see 
to  be  the  case  with  those  under  the  Papacy.  And  what  is 
their  repentance  ?  Even  this, — if  on  certain  daj's  they  fast, 
if  they  mutter  short  prayers,  if  they  undertake  vowed  pilgrim- 


CHAP.  XIV.  1,  2.      COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  487 

ages,  if  they  buy  masses, — if  with  these  trifles  they  weary 
themselves,  they  think  that  the  right  and  the  required  repent- 
ance is  brought  before  God  :  but  all  this  is  altogether  absurd. 
As  then  the  world  understands  not  what  repentance  means, 
and  to  what  it  leads,  the  Prophet  here  sets  forth  true  repent- 
ance by  its  fruits.  He  therefore  says,  Take  with  you  words, 
and  turn  to  Jehovah ;  and  say  to  him,  Take  away  all  iniquity, 
and  bring  good,  and  we  will  render  to  thee  the  calves  of  our  lips. 
When  he  bids  them  to  take  or  find  words  to  present  instead 
of  sacrifice,  he  no  doubt  alluded  to  what  the  law  teaches. 

First,  it  is  certain  that  the  Prophet  speaks  not  of  feigned 
words  ;  for  we  know  what  God  declares  by  Isaiah,  '  This 
people  draw  nigh  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  from 
me  far  distant,'  (Isa.  xxix.  13.)  But  he  bids  them  to  take 
words,  by  which  they  might  show  what  was  conceived  and 
felt  in  their  heart.  Then  he  means  this  first,  that  their  words 
should  correspond  with  their  feeling. 

It  must,  secondly,  be  noticed,  that  the  Prophet  speaks 
not  here  of  any  sort  of  words,  but  that  there  is  to  be  a 
mutual  relation  between  the  words  of  God  and  the  words  of 
men.  How  are  we  then  to  bring  words  to  God,  such  as  prove 
the  genuineness  of  our  piety?  Even  by  being  teachable  and  sub- 
missive ;  by  sufi'ering  willingly  when  he  chastises  us,  by  con- 
fessing Avhat  we  deserve  when  he  reproves  us,  by  humbly 
deprecating  vengeance  when  he  threatens  us,  by  embracing 
pardon  when  he  promises  it.  When  we  thus  take  words  from 
God's  mouth,  and  bring  them  to  him,  this  is  to  take  words 
according  to  what  the  Prophet  means  in  this  place.  We 
hence  see  the  import  of  the  Prophet's  exhortation,  when  he 
bids  us  to  take  words :  but  I  cannot  proceed  further  now. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  now  carry  about  us  this  mortal 
body,  yea,  and  nourish  through  sin  a  thousand  deaths  within 
us, — O  grant,  that  we  may  ever  by  faith  direct  our  eyes  towards 
heaven,  and  to  that  incomprehensible  power,  which  is  to  bo 
manifested  at  the  last  day  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  so  that  in 
the  midst  of  death  we  may  hope  that  thou  wilt  be  our  Re- 
deemer, and  enjoy  that  redemption,  which  he  completed  when 
he  rose  from  the  dead  ;  and  not  doubt  but  that  the  fruit  which 


488  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXYII. 

he  tlien  brought  forth  by  his  Spirit  will  come  also  to  us,  when 
Christ  himself  shall  come  to  judge  the  world  ;  and  may  we  thvi3 
walk  in  the  fear  of  thy  name,  that  we  may  be  really  gathered 
among  his  members,  to  be  made  partakers  of  that  glory,  which 
by  his  death  he  has  procm-ed  for  us.     Amen. 


Hectare  S'l^irtg-sebenti). 

Take  with  you  loords,  and  turn  to  Jehovah,  and  say  to  him, 
Take  away  all  iniquity,  and  bring  good,  and  we  will  pay  thee 
the  calves  of  our  lips.  We  mentioned  in  our  last  lecture  the 
sort  of  words  the  Prophet  here  bids  the  Israelites  to  take, 
while  exhorting  them  to  repent :  for  as  they  had  been  hitherto 
deaf  and  mute,  he  commands  them  to  be  not  only  attentive 
to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  but  also  prompt  to  respond,  that 
there  misht  be  a  mutual  consent  between  the  doctrine  heard 
and  their  own  confession.  He  now  explains  himself  and  says, 
Take  aivay  all  iniquity,  and  bring  good.  These  are  the  words 
with  which  he  bids  them  to  come  to  God.  He  dictates  to 
them  the  confession  which  the  Lord  requires. 

He  first  bids  them  to  ask  remission  and  the  pardon  of  sins; 
for  if  a  sinner  desires  to  return  into  favour  with  God,  and  yet 
does  not  confess  his  guilt,  he  adopts  a  way  the  most  strange. 
The  very  beginning  must  be  a  confession,  such  as  the  Prophet 
here  describes.  For  the  Israelites,  by  asking  God  to  remit 
their  sins,  at  the  same  time  confessed  themselves  to  be  guilty 
before  Him  ;  yea,  they  condemned  themselves,  that  they 
might  obtain  gratuitous  absolution.  And  emphatical  is  what 
they  said,  Take  away  all  iniquity.  Thus  they  confessed  them- 
selves to  be  guilty  not  only  of  one  sin,  but  also  of  many  sins, 
for  which  God  might  justly  punish  them,  had  he  not  been 
propitious  to  them.  In  short,  they  acknowledge  here  their 
various  and  multiplied  guilt. 

But  they  add.  Bring  good.  This  sentence  is  commonly  ex- 
plained as  if  the  Israelites  said,  that  they  had  hitherto  been 
barren  and  empty  of  good  works,  but  that  now  being  recon- 
ciled, they  would  be  useful  and  profitable  servants  of  God. 
But  this  sense  seems  not  to  me  suitable  to  this  place ;  for  he 
afterwards  subjoins  the  evidence  of  gratitude,   fVe  shall  pay 


CHAP.  XIV.  1,  2.    COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  489 

the  calves  of  our  lips.  He  here  speaks,  I  doubt  not,  of  God's 
blessing,  which  flows  from  the  gratuitous  pardon  of  sins :  for 
God  does  not  simply  receive  us  into  favour,  but  also  really 
shows  that  he  is  not  in  vain  reconciled  to  us;  for  he  adds 
the  fruits  of  his  paternal  love,  by  favouring  us  with  his  kind- 
ness. As  then  the  Prophet  commanded  the  Israelites  to 
bring  words  before  God,  so  now  he  introduces  them  as  pray- 
ing that  God  would  bring  good:  and  Scripture  is  wont  com- 
monly to  join  these  two  together, — the  favour  of  God,  by 
which  he  freely  remits  sins, — and  his  blessing,  which  he 
grants  to  his  children,  after  he  has  embraced  them  in  his  pa- 
ternal love.  Hence,  bring  good;  that  is,  "O  Lord,  first  re- 
ceive us  into  favour,  and  then  prove  in  reality  that  thou  art 
propitious  to  us,  even  by  outward  benefits." 

It  now  follows.  And  we  shall  pay,  or  render,  the  calves  of  our 
lips.  In  this  passage,  the  faithful  confess  that  they  have 
nothing  with  which  they  can  pay  God  in  return,  when  he 
has  bountifully  granted  them  all  things,  except  that  they  will 
celebrate  his  goodness  in  their  praises,  and  confess  that  they 
owe  all  things  to  him.  This  is  then  a  remarkable  passage ; 
for  it  sets  forth  God's  goodness  towards  men,  and  then  it 
teaches  that  men  can  render  no  mutual  compensation,  but 
can  only  bring  praises  by  Avhich  they  celebrate  God's  good- 
ness, and  nothing  more,  as  it  is  said  in  Ps.  cxvi.,  '  What  shall 
I  repay  the  Lord  for  all  the  benefits  which  he  has  conferred  on 
me  ?  The  cup  of  salvation  will  I  take,  and  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord  will  I  call.'  There  also  the  Prophet  testifies  that  God  is 
not  liberal  towards  men  because  he  expects  or  demands  any 
thing  from  them,  for  what  can  they  give  ?  but  that  he  still  re- 
quires thanksgiving,  and  that  he  is  content  with  the  sacrifice  of 
praise,  as  we  find  it  also  said  in  Ps.  1.  But  we  learn  the 
same  thing  from  this  passage,  O  Lord,  they  say,  bring  good; 
that  is,  "  Though  we  have  in  various  ways  exposed  ourselves 
to  thy  judgment,  having  by  our  innumei^able  sins  provoked 
thy  wrath,  yet  let  thy  goodness  surpass  all  our  iniquities  ; 
having  made  us  clean,  bring  also  that  good  which  has  been 
hitherto,  as  it  were,  far  away  from  us."  For  while  God  shows 
signs  of  his  wrath,  we  are  destitute  of  all  his  blessings.  They 
therefore  ask  God,  after  restoring  them  to  favour,  to  manifest 


490  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXVII. 

to  them  his  kindness.  And  what  do  they  at  last  say  ?  "  O 
Lord,  we  promise  thee  no  compensation,  for  thou  requirest 
none,  nor  is  it  in  our  power  to  give  any ;  but  we  loill  pay  to 
thee  the  calves  of  the  lips  "  that  is,  "  We  will  confess  that  we 
owe  all  things  to  thee ;  for  it  is  only  the  sacrifice  of  praise 
that  we  can  render  thee,  when  thou  hast  loaded  us  with  all 
kinds  of  blessings." 

And  calves  of  the  lips  the  Prophet  fitly  calls  the  praises 
which  God  requires  as  the  chief  sacrifice  ;  for  under  the  law, 
some  offered  calves  when  they  payed  their  vows.  But  the 
Proj)het  shows,  that  God  regards  not  external  sacrifices,  but 
only  those  exercises  which  men  perform  in  another  way,  even 
the  sacrifices  of  thanksgiving.  This  then  is  the  meaning  of 
the  metaphor ;  as  though  he  said,  "  The  calves  which  are 
wont  to  be  offered  are  not  the  true  sacrifices  in  which  God 
delights,  but  tend  rather  to  show  that  men  are  to  offer  praise 
to  God."  We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning  of  this  verse. 
It  follows — 

3.  Asshur  shall  not  save  us  ;  we  3.  Assur  (Assyiius)  non  servabit 

will  not  ride  upon  horses:  neither  nos  :  super  equum non  ascendemus, 

will  we  say  any  more  to  the  work  et  non  dicemus  posthac,  Dii  nostri, 

of  our  hands,  Ye  are  our  gods,  for  operimanuuninosti'oruin;  quiain  te 

in  thee  the  fatherless  findeth  mercy,  misericordiam  consequetur  pupillus. 

This  verse  ought  to  be  joined  with  the  last,  as  the  Israelites 
show  here  more  clearly  and  fully  in  what  they  had  sinned, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  give  proof  of  their  repentance ;  for 
when  they  say.  The  Assyrian  shall  not  save  us,  we  shall  not 
mount  on  horses,  toe  shall  not  say  to  the  tvork  of  hands.  Our  gods, 
it  is  to  be  understood  as  a  confession,  that  they  had  in  these 
various  ways  roused  against  themselves  the  vengeance  of 
God ;  for  they  had  hoped  for  safety  from  the  Assyrians,  ran 
here  and  there,  and  had  thus  alienated  themselves  from  God; 
they  had  also  fled  to  statues  and  idols,  and  had  transferred  to 
dumb  images  the  honour  due  to  the  only  true  God.  We 
hence  see,  that  though  the  faithful  speak  of  future  time,  they 
yet  indirectly  confess  that  they  had  grievously  sinned,  had 
forsaken  the  only  true  God,  and  transferred  their  hopes  to 
others,  either  to  the  Assyrians  or  to  ficiitious  gods.  But  at 
the  same  time,  they  promise  to  be  different  in   future  ;  as 


CHAP.  XIV.  3.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  491 

though  he  said,  that  they  would  not  only  be  grateful  to  God 
in  celebrating  his  praises,  but  that  their  way  of  living  would 
be  also  new,  so  as  not  to  abuse  the  goodness  of  God.  This 
is  the  substance  of  what  is  here  said. 

By  saying,  The  Assyrian  shall  not  save  us,  they  doubtless 
condemned,  as  I  have  already  stated,  the  false  confidence 
with  which  they  were  before  deluded,  when  they  sought  de- 
liverance by  means  of  the  Assyrians.  There  is,  indeed,  no 
doubt,  but  that  the  Israelites  were  ever  wont  to  pretend  to 
trust  in  the  name  of  God ;  but  in  thinking  themselves  lost 
without  the  succour  of  the  Assyrians,  they  most  certainly 
defrauded  God  of  his  just  honour,  and  adorned  men  with 
spoils  taken  from  him.  For  except  we  be  convinced  that 
God  alone  is  sufficient  for  us,  even  when  all  earthly  aids  fail 
us,  we  do  not  place  in  him  our  hope  of  salvation ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  transfer  to  mortals  what  belongs  alone  to  him.  For 
this  sacrilege  the  Israelites  therefore  condemn  themselves, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  show  that  the  fruit  of  their  repentance 
would  be,  to  set  their  minds  on  God,  so  as  not  to  be  drawn 
here  and  there  as  before,  or  to  think  that  they  could  be  pre- 
served through  the  help  of  men.  Let  us  hence  learn,  that 
men  turn  not  to  God,  except  when  they  bid  adieu  to  all  crea- 
tures, and  no  longer  fix  their  hopes  on  them.  This  is  one 
thing. 

What  follows,  On  a  horse  we  shall  not  mount,  may  be  ex- 
plained in  two  ways ; — as  though  they  said,  that  they  would 
no  longer  be  so  mad  as  to  be  proud  of  their  own  power,  or 
consider  themselves  safe  because  they  were  well  furnished 
with  horses  and  chariots ; — but  the  clause  may  be  more  sim- 
ply explained,  as  meaning,  that  they  would  not  as  before 
wander  here  and  there  to  procure  for  themselves  auxiliaries ; 
We  shall  not  then  mount  a  horse,  but  continue  quiet  in  our 
country  ;  and  this  sense  seems  more  appropriate.  I  do  not 
then  think  that  the  Prophet  brings  forward  any  new  idea, 
but  I  read  the  two  sentences  conjointly,  Tlie  Assyrian  shall 
not  save  us,  we  shall  not  then  mount  on  a  horse,  that  is,  that  we 
may  ride  in  haste ;  for  they  had  wearied  themselves  before 
with  long  journeys :  ag  soon  as  any  danger  was  at  hand,  they 


492  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVIT. 

went  away  afar  off  into  Assyria  to  seek  help,  when  God  com- 
manded them  to  remain  quiet. 

The  meaning  of  this  will  be  better  understood  by  referring 
to  other  passages,  which  correspond  with  what  is  here  said. 
God  says  by  Isaiah,  '  On  horses  mount  not ;  but  ye  said.  We 
Avill  mount :  then  mount,'  says  he,  (Isa.  xxx.  16.)  Here  is  a 
striking  intimation,  that  the  Jews  against  God's  will  rode 
and  hastened  to  seek  aids.  "  I  see  you,"  he  says,  '^  to  be  very 
prompt  and  swift :  then  mount,  but  it  shall  be  for  the  pur- 
pose of  fleeing."  "VVe  see  what  was  the  design  of  this  reproof 
of  the  Prophet ;  it  was  to  show  that  the  Jews,  who  ought  to 
have  remained  still  and  quiet,  fled  here  and  there  for  the  sake 
of  seeking  assistance.  So  also  in  this  place,  when  they  would 
show  the  fruit  of  their  repentance,  they  say,  "  We  will  not 
hereafter  mount  a  horse,  for  the  Lord,  who  promises  to  be  our 
aid,  is  not  to  be  sought  as  one  far  off":  we  will  not  then  any 
more  fatigue  ourselves  in  vain."  It  seems  to  me  that  this  is 
what  is  meant  by  the  Prophet. 

Then  he  adds.  And  we  shall  not  say,  Our  gods,  to  the  ivork 
of  our  hands.  As  they  had  spoken  of  the  false  trust  they 
placed  in  men,  so  now  they  condemn  their  own  superstition. 
And  these  are  the  two  pests  which  are  wont  to  bring  destruc- 
tion on  men ;  for  nothing  is  more  ruinous  than  to  transfer 
our  hope  from  God ;  and  this  is  done  in  two  ways,  either 
when  men  trust  in  their  own  strength,  or  pride  themselves  on 
human  aids  and  despise  God,  as  if  they  can  be  safe  without 
him, — or  when  they  give  up  themselves  to  false  superstitions. 
Both  these  diseases  ever  prevail  in  the  world,  when  men  en- 
tangle themselves  in  their  own  superstitions,  and  form  for 
themselves  new  gods,  from  whom  they  expect  safety  ;  as  we 
see  to  be  the  case  with  those  under  the  Papacy.  God  is 
almost  of  no  account  with  them,  Christ  is  not  sufficient.  For 
how  comes  it  that  they  contrive  so  many  patrons  for  them- 
selves, that  they  devise  so  many  guardianships,  except  that 
they  despise  the  help  of  God,  or  so  extenuate  it,  that  they 
dare  not  to  hope  for  salvation  from  him  ?  We  hence  see  that 
superstition  draws  men  away  from  God,  and  becomes  thus 
the  cause  of  the  worst  destruction.  But  there  are  some,  who 
are  not  thus  given  up  to  superstitions,  but  who  derive  a  hope 


CHAP.  XIV.  3.         COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  493 

from  their  own  valour  or  wisdom  ;  for  the  children  of  this 
world  are  inflated  with  their  own  strength ;  and  when  princes 
have  their  armies  prepared,  when  they  have  fortified  cities, 
when  they  possess  abundance  of  money,  when  they  are 
strengthened  by  many  compacts,  they  are  blinded  with  false 
confidence.  So  then  this  verse  teaches  us,  that  these  are  two 
destructive  pests,  which  commonly  draw  men  away  from  real 
safety;  and  if  then  we  would  repent  sincerely  from  the  heart, 
we  must  purge  our  minds  from  these  two  evils,  so  that  we 
may  not  ascribe  any  thing  to  our  own  strength  or  to  earthly 
helps,  nor  form  any  idols  to  be  in  the  place  of  God,  but  feel 
assured  that  God  alone  is  a  sufilcient  help  to  us. 

But  it  follows,  For  in  thee  will  the  fatherless  find  mercy. 
Here  the  Israelites  show  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  be  de- 
pressed that  we  may  remain  dependent  on  God  alone  ;  for 
those  are  compared  to  the  fatherless  who  are  so  humbled, 
that  they  cast  away  all  vain  hopes,  and,  conscious  of  their 
nakedness  and  want,  recumb  on  God  alone.  Hence,  that 
God's  mercy  may  find  a  way  open  to  come  to  us,  we  must 
become  fatherless.  Now  what  this  metaphor  means  is  well 
known  to  us.  The  fatherless,  we  know,  are,  first,  destitute  of 
aid,  and,  secondly,  of  wisdom ;  and  they  are  also  without 
strength.  They  are  then  dependent  on  the  aid  of  another, 
and  stand  in  need  of  direction  ;  in  short,  their  safety  depends 
on  the  assistance  of  others.  Thus,  also,  we  are  really  father- 
less, when  we  rely  not  on  our  own  prudence,  nor  recumb  on 
our  own  strength,  nor  think  that  we  can  be  safe  througi  the 
aids  which  come  from  the  earth,  but  cast  all  our  hopes  and 
cares  on  God  alone.  This  is  one  thing.  The  fatherless  then 
shall  find  mercy  in  thee ;  that  is,  "  When  thou.  Lord,  dost  so 
afflict  us,  that  we  become  wholly  cast  down,  then  we  shall 
find  mercy  in  thee  ;  and  this  mercy  will  be  suflScient  for  us 
so  that  we  shall  no  more  wander  and  be  drawn  aside  by  false 
devices,  as  it  has  hitherto  been  the  case  with  us."  When 
therefore,  they  say,  in  God  will  the  fatherless  find  mercy, 
they  mean  that  the  grace  ofl'ercd  by  the  Lord  will  be  suffi- 
cient, so  that  there  will  be  no  need  any  more  of  seeking  aid 
from  any  other.  We  now  understand  what  the  Prophet 
means  in  this  verse.     It  follows — 


494  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.    LECT.  XXXVII. 

4.  I  will  heal  theii'  backsliding,  4.  Sanabo  defectiones  eorum,  di- 
I  will  love  them  freely :  for  mine  ligam  eos  sponte  (vel,  liberaliter ;) 
anger  is  turned  away  from  him.  quia  aversus  est  furor  meus  ab  eo. 

God  here  confirms  what  we  have  observed  respecting  his 
gratuitous  reconciliation,  nor  is  the  repetition  useless  ;  for  as 
men  are  disposed  to  entertain  vain  and  false  hopes,  so  nothing 
is  more  difficult  than  to  preserve  them  in  dependence  on  the 
one  Godj  and  to  pacify  their  minds,  so  that  they  disturb  not 
nor  fret  themselves,  as  experience  teaches  us  all.  For  when 
we  embrace  the  promises  of  free  pardon,  our  flesh  ever  leads 
us  to  distrust,  and  we  become  harassed  by  various  fancies. 
"  What !  can  you  or  dare  you  promise  with  certainty  to  your- 
self that  God  will  be  propitious  to  you,  when  you  know  that 
for  many  reasons  he  is  justly  angry  with  you  ?"  Since,  then, 
we  are  so  inclined  to  harbour  distrust,  the  Prophet  again  con- 
firms the  truth  which  we  have  before  noticed,  which  is,  that 
God  is  ready  to  be  reconciled,  and  that  he  desires  nothing 
more  than  to  receive  and  embrace  his  people. 

Hence  he  says,  /  will  heal  their  defections.  The  way  of 
healing  is  by  a  gratuitous  pardon.  For  though  God,  by  re- 
generating us  by  his  Spirit,  heals  our  rebellion,  that  is,  sub- 
dues us  unto  obedience,  and  removes  from  us  our  corruptions, 
which  stimulate  us  to  sin ;  yet  in  this  place  the  Prophet  no 
doubt  declares  in  the  person  of  God,  that  the  Israelites  would 
be  saved  from  their  defections,  so  that  they  might  not  come 
against  them  in  judgment,  nor  be  imputed  to  them.  Let  us 
know  then  that  God  is  in  two  respects  a  Physician  while  he 
is  healing  our  sins :  he  cleanses  us  by  his  Spirit,  and  he 
abolishes  and  buries  all  our  offences.  But  it  is  of  the  second 
kind  of  healing  that  the  Prophet  noAV  speaks,  when  he  says,  / 
loill  heal  their  turnings  away:  and  he  employs  a  strong  term,  for 
he  might  have  said,  "your  faults  or  errors,"  but  he  says,  "your 
defections  from  God ;"  as  though  he  said,  "  Though  they  have 
so  grievously  sinned,  that  by  their  crimes  they  have  deserved 
hundred  deaths,  yet  I  will  heal  them  from  these  their  atro- 
cious sins,  and  I  will  love  them  freely." 

The  word  nnj?  nxxdebe,  may  be  explained  either  freely  or 
bountifully.  /  will  then  love  them  bountifully,  that  is,  with 
an  abounding  and  not  a  common  love  ;  or  /  will  love  them 


CUAP.  XIV.  4.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  495 

freely,  that  is,  gratuitously.  But  they  who  render  the  words, 
"  I  will  love  them  of  mine  own  accord,"  that  is,  not  by  con- 
straint, pervert  the  sense  of  the  Prophet ;  for  how  frigid  is 
the  expression,  that  God  is  not  forced  to  love  us ;  and  Avhat 
meaning  can  hence  be  elicited  ?  But  the  Lord  is  said  to  love 
us  freely,  because  he  finds  in  us  no  cause  of  love,  for  we  are 
unworthy  of  being  regarded  or  viewed  with  any  favour ;  but 
he  shows  himself  liberal  and  beneficent  in  this  very  act  of 
manifesting  his  love  to  the  unworthy. 

We  then  perceive  that  the  real  meaning  of  the  Prophet  is 
this,  that  though  the  Israelites  had  in  various  ways  provoked 
the  wrath  of  God,  and  as  it  were  designedly  wished  to  perish, 
and  to  have  him  to  be  angry  with  them ;  yet  the  Lord  pro- 
mises to  be  propitious  to  them.  In  what  way  ?  Even  in  this, 
for  he  will  give  proof  of  his  bounty,  when  he  will  thus  gratui- 
tously embrace  them.  We  now  see  how  God  becomes  a 
Father  to  us,  and  regards  us  as  his  children,  even  when  he 
abolishes  our  sins,  and  also  when  he  freely  admits  us  to  the 
enjoyment  of  his  love.  And  this  truth  ought  to  be  carefully 
observed;  for  the  world  ever  imagines  that  they  come  to 
God,  and  bring  something  by  which  they  can  turn  or  incline 
him  to  love  them.  Nothing  can  be  more  inimical  to  our 
salvation  than  this  vain  fancy. 

Let  us  then  learn  from  this  passage,  that  God  cannot  be 
otherwise  a  Father  to  us  than  by  becoming  our  physician  and 
by  healing  our  transgressions.  But  the  order  also  is  remark- 
able, for  God  puts  love  after  healing.  Why '?  Because,  as 
he  is  just,  it  must  be  that  he  regards  us  with  hatred  as  long 
as  he  imputes  sins.  It  is  then  the  beginning  of  love,  when 
he  cleanses  us  from  our  vices,  and  wipes  away  our  spots. 
When  therefore  it  is  asked,  how  God  loves  men,  the  answer 
is,  that  he  begins  to  love  them  by  a  gratuitous  pardon ;  for 
while  God  imputes  sins,  it  must  be  that  men  are  hated  by 
him.  He  then  commences  to  love  us,  when  he  heals  our 
diseases. 

It  is  not  without  reason  that  he  adds,  that  the  fury  of  God 
is  turned  away  from  Israel.  For  the  Prophet  intended  to 
add  this  as  a  seal  to  confirm  what  he  taught ;  for  men  ever 
dispute  with  themselves,  when  they  hear  that  God  is  propi- 


496  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.     LECT.  XXX VII. 

tious  to  them.  "  How  is  this,  that  he  heals  thine  infirmities  ? 
for  hitherto  thou  hast  found  him  to  be  angry  with  thee,  and 
how  art  thou  now  persuaded  that  his  wrath  is  pacified  ?" 
Hence  the  Prophet  seals  his  testimony  respecting  God's  love, 
when  he  says  that  his  wrath  has  now  ceased.  Turned  away 
then  is  my  fury.  "Though  hitherto  I  have  by  many  proofs 
manifested  to  thee  my  wrath,  yet  I  now  come  to  thee  as  one 
changed.  Judge  me  not  then  by  past  time,  for  I  am  now 
pacified  to  tliee,  and  my  fury  is  from  thee  turned  awayT  It 
follows — 

5.  I  will  be  as  the  dew  uuto        5.  Ego  quasi  ros  Israeli;   florebit 

Israel :  he  shall  grow  as  the  lily,  quasi  lilinm    {alii   vertimt^   rosam  :) 

and  cast  forth  his  roots  as  Leb-  figet  radices  suas  quasi  Libanus  (vel, 

anon.  quasi  Libani.) 

The  Prophet  now  again  repeats  what  he  had  said,  that 
God,  after  restoring  the  people  to  favour,  would  be  so  bene- 
ficent, as  to  render  apparent  the  fruit  of  reconciliation. 
Seeing  that  the  Israelites  had  been  afflicted,  they  ought  to 
have  imputed  this  to  their  own  sins,  they  ought  to  have  per- 
ceived by  such  proofs  the  wrath  of  God.  They  had  been  so 
stupid  as  to  have  on  the  contrary  imagined,  that  their  adver- 
sities happened  to  them  by  chance.  The  Prophet  had  been 
much  engaged  in  teaching  this  truth,  that  the  Israelites  would 
be  ever  miserable  until  they  turned  to  God,  and  also,  that 
all  their  affairs  would  be  unhappy  until  they  obtained  pardon. 
He  now  speaks  of  a  change,  that  God  would  not  only  by 
words  show  himself  propitious  to  them,  but  would  also  give 
a  proof  by  which  the  Israelites  might  know  that  they  were 
now  blessed,  because  they  had  been  reconciled  to  God ;  for 
his  blessing  would  be  the  fruit  of  his  gratuitous  love.  Thus 
then  ought  this  sentence,  I  will  be  to  Israel  as  the  dew,  to  be  con- 
nected :  He  intimates  that  they  were  before  dry,  because  they 
had  been  deprived  of  God's  favour.  He  compares  them  to  a 
rose  or  lily :  for  when  the  fields  or  meadows  are  burnt  up  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun,  and  there  is  no  dew  distilling  from  heaven,  all 
things  wither.  How  then  can  lilies  and  roses  flourish,  except 
they  derive  moisture  from  heaven,  and  the  dew  refreshes  the 
ground,  that  they  may  put  forth  their  strength  ?     The  reason 


CHAP.  XI Y.  5.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  497 

then  for  the  similitude  is  this,  because  men  become  dry  and 
destitute  of  all  vigour,  when  Grod  withdraws  his  favour.  Why? 
Because  God  must,  as  it  were,  distil  dew,  otherwise,  as  it  has 
been  said,  we  become  wholly  barren  and  dry.  I  will  he  then 
as  dew  to  Israel. 

And  further.  He  shall  flourish  as  the  lily^  and  his  roots  he 
shall  send  forth.  Some  render  'l'"'),  va,ic,  "  and  he  will  strike ;" 
and  riiJ)  nuke,  means  to  strike.  Others  render  the  words, 
**  His  branches  will  extend :"  but  the  verb  is  in  the  singular 
number,  and  the  noun,  ''  roots,"  is  in  the  plural.  The  Pro- 
phet then  speaks  of  Israel,  that  he  strikes  his  roots ;  but  he 
means  to  fix  in  a  metaphorical  sense :  he  will  then  fix  his 
roots.  As  when  we  strike,  we  fetch  a  blow,  and  extend  our 
arms ;  so  he  will  spread  forth  his  roots  as  Libanus.  This  is 
the  second  effect  of  God's  favour  and  blessing ;  which  means, 
that  the  happiness  of  the  people  would  be  perpetual.  With 
regard  to  the  rose  or  lily,  the  meaning  of  the  metaphor  is, 
that  God  would  suddenly,  and  as  in  a  moment,  vivify  the 
Israelites,  though  they  were  like  the  dead.  As  in  one  night 
the  lily  rises,  and  unexpectedly  also  the  rose;  so  sudden 
would  be  the  change  signified  by  this  metaphor.  But  as  the 
lilies  and  the  roses  soon  wither,  it  was  not  enough  to  promise 
to  Israel  that  their  salvation  would  come  suddenly;  but  it 
was  needful  to  add  this  second  clause, — that  though  they 
would  be  like  lilies  and  roses,  they  yet  would  be  also  like  tall 
trees,  which  have  deep  roots  in  the  ground,  by  which  they 
remain  firm  and  for  a  long  time  flourish. 

We  now  then  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  He 
mentions  here  the  twofold  effect  of  God's  blessing  as  to  the 
Israelites, — that  their  restoration  would  be  sudden,  as  soon 
as  God  Avould  distil  like  the  dew  his  favour  upon  them,  and 
also  that  this  happiness  would  not  be  fading,  but  enduring 
and  permanent.  And  the  words  may  be  rendered,  as  Libanus, 
or  as  those  of  Libanus :  as  Libanus  he  shall  cast  forth  his  roots, 
as  the  trees  which  grow  there;  or,  he  shall  cast  forth  his  roots 
as  the  trees  which  are  in  Libanus.  But  as  to  the  sense  there 
is  no  difference.     It  follows — 


VOL.  I.  2  I 


498  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PEOPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVII. 

6.  His  branches  6.  Ibunt  rami  ejus,  et  erit  quasi  olivae  decor  ejus, 
shall  spread,  and  his    et  odor  ei  quasi  Libani. 

beauty  shall  be  as 
the  olive-tree,  and 
his  smell  as  Leba- 
non. 

7.  They  that  dwell  7.  Revertentur  incote  umbrae  ejus  (qui  habitant 
under  his  shadow  sub  ejus  umbra)  et  se  vivificabunt  tritico  (vel,  quasi 
shall  return  ;  they  triticum,)  et  germinabunt  tanquam  vitis  :  odor  ejus 
shall  revive  as  the  (alii  vertunt,  M.emoria.m\  sed  male;  nam -\^],  saicar, 
corn,  and  gi'ow  as  proprie  memoriam  signijicat,  a  verbo  ")3t,  quod  est 
the  vine:  the  scent  Recordari:  sed  metaphorice  etiam  HebrcBi  odorem 
thereof  shall  be  as  vacant  memoriam ;  quia  etiamsi  res  noa  videtur,  ta- 
the  wine  of  Leba-  7nen  diffundit  suam  fragrantiam:  odor  igitur  %yis,) 
nou.  tanquam  viui  Libani. 

The  Prophet  goes  on  with  the  same  subject,  but  joins  the 
beginning  of  the  first  verse  with  the  second  clause  of  the 
former  verse.  He  had  said  that  the  roots  of  the  people  would 
be  deep  when  God  should  restore  them.  Now  he  adds,  that 
their  branches  shall  go  on.  He  mentions  here  'to  go  on'  me- 
taphorically for  extending  far ;  for  branches  of  trees  seem  to 
go  on,  when  they  extend  and  spread  themselves  far  and  wide. 
His  branches,  then,  shall  go  on ;  which  means,  that  a  tree,  after 
striking  roots,  remains  not  in  the  same  state,  but  grows  and 
spreads  forth  its  branches  in  all  directions.  In  short,  God 
promises  a  daily  increase  to  his  blessing,  after  he  has  once 
begun  to  show  himself  bountiful  to  the  people  of  Israel.  "  I 
•will  then  be  bountiful  at  the  beginning;  and  further,  he 
says,  my  blessing  shall,  as  time  passes,  increase  and  be  mul- 
tiplied." 

He  afterwards  adds,  His  comeliness  shall  be  like  the  olive. 
The  Prophet  accumulates  similitudes,  that  he  might  more 
fully  confirm  the  people.  And  we  certainly  see  that  the 
minds  of  men  grow  faint,  when  they  look  for  prosperity 
from  this  or  that  quarter ;  for  there  is  hardly  one  in  a  hun- 
dred who  is  fully  persuaded  that  when  God  is  propitious  all 
things  turn  out  well  and  happily :  for  men  regard  not  the 
love  of  God  when  they  wish  things  to  be  well  with  them, 
but  wander  here  and  there  through  the  whole  world;  and 
now  they  seek  prosperity  from  themselves,  then  from  the 
earth,  now  from  the  air,  then  from  the  sea.  Since  then  it  is 
so  difficult  to  impress  this  truth  fully  on  the  hearts  of  men, 
that  the  love  of  God  is  the  fountain  of  all  blessings,  the  Pro- 


CHAP.  XIV.  6,  7.   COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  499 

phet  has  collected  together  a  number  of  similitudes  to  confirm 
what  he  teaches.  Then  his  comeliness^  he  says,  shall  he  like 
the  olive;  and  further,  his  fragrance  like  that  of  Libanus:  and 
odoriferous  trees,  we  know,  grow  on  Mount  Libanus.  But 
by  these  various  similes  the  Prophet  shows  that  the  state  of 
the  people  would  be  prosperous  and  happy  as  soon  as  they 
should  be  received  by  God  into  favour.  He  afterwards  adds, 
the  dwellers  under  his  shadow  shall  return ;  but  I  defer  this 
till  to-morrow. 

PRAYER. 

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  as  we  are  so  miserable  as  soon  as  thou 
■vvithdrawest  thy  favour  from  us, — O  grant,  that  we  may  deeply 
feel  this  conviction,  and  thus  learn  to  be  humble  before  thee, 
and  to  hate  our  ownselves,  and  that  we  may  not  in  the  mean- 
time deceive  ourselves  by  such  allurements  as  commonly  pre- 
vail, to  put  our  hope  in  creatures  or  in  this  world,  but  raise  our 
minds  upwards  to  thee,  and  fix  on  thee  our  hearts,  and  never 
doubt,  but  that  when  thou  embracest  us  with  thy  paternal  love, 
nothing  shall  be  wanting  to  us.  And  in  the  meantime,  may  we 
suppliantly  flee  to  thy  mercy,  and  with  true  and  genuine  con- 
fession, acknowledge  this  to  be  our  only  protection — that  thou 
deign  to  receive  us  into  favour,  and  to  abolish  our  sins,  into 
which  we  not  only  daily  fall,  but  by  which  we  also  deserve 
eternal  death,  so  that  we  may  daily  rise  through  thy  free  par- 
don, till  at  length  our  Redeemer  Chiist  thy  Son  shall  appear  to 
us  from  heaven.     Amen. 


Hie  dwellers  under  his  shadow  shall  return,  (so  it  is  literally ;) 
they  shall  revive  themselves  with  corn,  (or,  revive  as  the  corn ;)  they 
shall  grow  as  the  vine  :  his  odour  shall  be  as  the  wine  of  Libanus. 
The  Prophet  proceeds  with  the  same  subject,  that  God 
would  show  himself  bountiful  to  his  people,  that  it  might 
plainly  appear  from  their  different  state  that  they  had  before 
suffered  just  punishment.  And  he  says,  The  dwellers  under 
his  shadoiv  shall  return.  But  the  verb  1^2^^,  ishibu,  in  this 
place  rightly  means,  "  to  be  refreshed,"  as  in  Psal.  xix. ; 
where  the  law  of  God  is  spoken  of  as  T\^''ti^f2)  meshibet,  con- 
verting the  soul;  which  signifies  the  same  as  refreshing  or 


500  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVIII. 

restoring  the  soul.  So  the  Prophet  intimates,  that  after 
the  Israelites  shall  begin  to  flourish  again,  their  shadow  would 
be  vivifying,  such  as  would  restore  and  refresh  those  lying 
under  it.  He  calls  the  dwellers  under  his  shadoic,  all  those 
who  belong  to  th^  people  ;  and  compares  the  common  state 
of  the  people  of  Israel  to  a  tree  full  of  leaves,  which  extends 
its  branches  far  and  wide,  so  that  they  who  flee  under  its  sha- 
dow are  defended  from  the  heat  of  the  sun.  We  now  see 
the  design  of  this  metaphor,  and  what  the  Prophet  means  by 
the  verb  )'2^\  ishihu. 

He  afterwards  adds,  TJiey  shall  vivify  themselves  tvith  corn,  or, 
revive  as  corn.  If  we  read  the  word  in  the  nominative  case,  the 
preposition  ^,  caph,  is  to  be  understood.  The  ablative  case 
is  more  approved  by  some,  "  They  shall  vivify  themselves 
with  corn."  But  the  former  sense  seems  more  suitable ;  for, 
as  I  have  said  yesterday,  the  Prophet,  as  he  handles  a  truth 
diflicult  to  be  believed,  does  on  this  account  accumulate  simi- 
litudes, such  as  serve  for  confirmation.  Hence  they  shall 
revive  as  corn;  that  is,  they  shall  increase.  As  from  one 
grain,  we  know,  many  stalks  proceed ;  so  also,  since  the 
Prophet  speaks  of  the  increase  of  the  people  after  their  re- 
storation to  God's  favour,  he  says  that  they  would  grow  like 
corn.' 

But  he  adds,  TJiey  shall  germinate  as  the  vine.  This  simi- 
litude strengthens  what  I  have  just  said,  that  the  people  are 
compared  both  to  trees  and  to  corn,  and  also  to  vines.  And 
what  is  said  of  dwellers  ought  not  to  appear  strange,  for  he 
wished  more  fully  to  express  how  this  common  benefit  would 
come,  that  is,  to  every  one.  He  afterwards  adds.  His  odour 
shall  be  as  the  ivine  of  Libanus ;  that  is,  when  they  shall  ger- 
minate as  the  vine,  they  shall  not  produce  common  or  sour 
wine,  but  the  sweetest,  such  as  is  made  on  Mount  Libanus, 
and  which  is  of  the  best  odour.  But  the  Prophet  means  no 
other  thing  than  that  the  Israelites  will  be  happy,  and  that 
their  condition  will  be  prosperous  and  joyful,  when  they  shall 
be  converted  from  their  superstitions  and  other  vices,  and 
shall  wholly  surrender  themselves  to  be  governed  by  God. 
This  is  the  meaning.     Let  us  now  proceed — 


CHAP.  XIV.  8.  COMMENTAEIES  ON  HOSEA.  501 

8.  Ephraim  shall  say,  What  have  8.  Ephraim,  quid  mihi  aclhuc  cum 

I  to  do  any  more  with  idols  ?  I  have  idolis  ?  ^    Ego  respondi  et  respexi 

heard  him  and  observed  him  :  I  am  eum  {vel,  exaudivi :)  Ego  tanquara 

lilce  a  green  tir-tree.     From  me  is  abies  frondosa :  a  me  fructus  tuus 

thy  fruit  found.  inventus  est. 

The  Prophet  again  introduces  the  Israelites  speaking  as 
before,  that  they  wouhl  deplore  their  blindness  and  folly,  and 
renounce  in  future  their  superstitions.  The  confession  then 
which  we  have  before  noticed  is  here  repeated ;  and  it  is  a 
testimony  of  true  repentance,  when  men,  being  ashamed,  are 
displeased  with  themselves  on  account  of  their  sins,  and  apply 
their  minds  to  God's  service,  and  detest  their  whole  former 
life.  To  this  subject  belongs  what  the  Prophet  now  says.  It 
is  a  concise  discourse ;  but  yet  its  brevity  contains  nothing 
obscure.  Eplcraim,  he  says.  What  have  I  to  do  ivith  idols  f 
There  is  indeed  a  verb  understood,  '  Ephraim  shall  say,  What 
have  I  to  do  with  idols  ?'  But  still  it  is  evident  enough  what 
the  Prophet  means.  There  is  then  In  these  words,  as  I  have 
said,  a  sincere  confession ;  for  the  ten  tribes  express  their  de- 
testation of  their  folly,  that  they  had  alienated  themselves 
from  the  true  God,  and  became  entangled  in  false  and  abo- 
minable superstitions :  hence  they  say,  Jiliat  have  ice  to  do 
loith  idols  ?  and  when  they  add,  any  more,  they  confess  that 
their  former  life  had  been  corrupt  and  vicious  :  at  the  same 
time  they  announce  their  own  repentance,  when  they  say  that 
they  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  Avith  fictitious  gods. 

The  reason  follows,  because  God  will  htar  and  look  on  Is- 
rael, so  as  to  become  to  him  a  shady  tree.  Some  so  explain 
this,  as  though  God  promised  to  be  propitious  to  Israel  after 
they  had  manifested  their  repentance.  But  they  pervert  the 
sense  of  the  Prophet ;  for,  on  the  contrary,  he  says,  that  after 
the  Israelites  shall  perceive,  and  find  even  by  the  effect,  that 
God  is  propitious  to  them,  they  will  then  say,  "  Plow  foolish 

•  Horsley  renders  the  first  clause  thus, — "  Ephraim !  Wliat  have  I  to 
do  any  more  with  idols?"  He  considers  it  "  the  exultation  of  Jehovah 
over  idols ;"  but  the  expression  is  so  strange,  taken  in  this  sense,  that  the 
opinion  cannot  be  entertained.  It  is  doubtless  the  confession  of  Ephraim, 
as  most  commentators  regard  it.  Newcomers  emendation,  founded  only 
on  the  Septuagint,  is  no  less  admissible, — "  What  hath  Ephraim  to  do 
any  more  with  idols?"  He  changes  '•'?  into  i^.  Our  version  and  Cal- 
vin's is  no  doubt  the  best,  most  striking,  and  affording  the  best  sense. — 
Ed. 


502  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVIII. 

and  mad  we  were,  while  we  followed  idols  ?     It  is  now  then 
time  that  our  souls  should  recumb  on  God."     Why  ?     "  Be- 
cause we  see  that  there  is  nothing  better  for  us  than  to  live 
under  his  safeguard  and  protection  ;  for  he  hears  us,  he  re- 
gards us,  he  is  to, us  like  a  shady  tree,  so  that  he  protects  us 
under  his  shadow."     We  now  perceive  how  these  two  clauses 
are  connected  together ;  for  God  shows  the  reason  why  Eph- 
raim  will  renounce  his  idols,  because  he  will  perceive  that  he 
was  miserably  deceived  as  long  as  he  wandered  after  his  idols. 
How  will  he  perceive  this  ?     Because  he  will  see  that  he  is 
now  favoured  by  the  Lord,  and  that  he  was  before  destitute 
of  his  help.     When  God  then  shall  give  such  a  proof  to  his 
people,  he  will  at  the  same  time  produce  this  effect,  that  they 
will  cast  away  all  false  confidences,  and  confess  that  they  were 
miserable  and  wretched  while  they  were  attached  to  idols. 
He  therefore  says,  I  have  heard  and  favoured  him.     What  is 
then  later  in  the  words  of  the  Prophet  goes  before;  it  precedes 
in  order  of  things  this  clause,  Ephraim  shall  say.  What  have 
I  to  do  icith  idols  ? 

In  saying,  /  will  be  as  a  shady  fir-tree^  and  adding  at  the 
same  time.  From  me  is  thy  fruit  found,  the  two  similitudes 
seem  not  to  accord  ;  for,  as  it  is  well  known,  the  fir-tree  bears 
no  fruit.  Why  then  is  fruit  mentioned  ?  The  answer  is, 
that  these  two  similitudes  are  not  connected.  For  when 
God  compares  himself  to  a  fir-tree,  he  speaks  only  of  protec- 
tion :  and  we  know  that  when  one  seeks  a  cooling  shade,  he 
may  find  it  under  a  fir-tree  ;  besides,  it  is  always  green,  as  we 
all  know,  when  leaves  fall  from  other  trees  ;  and  further,  its 
height  and  thickness  afford  a  good  shadow.  The  reason,  then, 
why  God  promises  to  be  like  a  fir-tree  to  his  people  is  this, 
because  all  who  will  fly  under  his  shadow  shall  be  preserved 
from  the  heat.  But  the  meaning  of  the  second  similitude, 
that  God  would  supply  his  people  with  fruit,  is  different. 
The  Prophet  had  said  before  that  the  Israelites  would  be  like 
a  tree,  which  fixes  its  roots  deep  in  the  ground.  He  now 
transfers  the  name  of  a  tree  to  God.  Both  these  things  are 
true ;  for  when  God  makes  us  fruitful,  we  are  branches  set 
in  the  best  vine ;  and  it  is  also  true,  that  the  whole  fruit  we 
have  is  from  him ;  for  all  vigour  would  fail  ue,  except  God 


CHAP.  XIV.  9.  COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  503 

were  to  supply  us  with  moisture,  and  even  life  itself.  We 
now  then  see  that  there  is  no  inconsistency  in  the  words  of 
the  Prophet,  as  the  object  is  different.  From  me  then  is  thy 
fruit  found ;  as  though  God  said,  that  the  Israelites,  if  wise, 
would  be  content  with  his  favour ;  for  they  who  seek  support 
from  him  will  be  satisfied  ;  because  they  will  find  from  him 
fruit  suflSciently  rich  and  abundant.  We  now  then  under- 
stand what  is  meant.     But  it  follows — 


9.  Who  is  wise,  and  he  shall  understand  9.  Quis  sapiens,  et  intelliget 

these  things  ?  prudent,  and  he  shall  know  haec?  intelligens,  et  cognoscet 

them?  For  the  ways  of  the  Lord  a/-e  right,  ea?  Quia  rectae  vi*  Jehovae, 

and  the  just  shall  walk  in  them  :  but  the  et  justi  ambulabunt  in  illis  ; 

transgressors  shall  fall  therein.  et  inipii  impingent  in  illis. 

The  Prophet,  I  have  no  doubt,  very  often  inculcated  what 
he  here  says,  and  frequently  recalled  it  to  mind,  for  we  know 
that  he  had  a  constant  struggle  with  extreme  obstinacy.  It 
was  not  only  for  one  day  that  he  found  the  people  hai'd  and 
perverse,  but  through  the  whole  course  of  his  preaching. 
Since  then  the  Israelites  continued,  either  openly  to  despise 
the  Prophet's  teaching,  or  at  least  to  regard  as  fables  what 
they  heard  from  his  mouth,  or  to  chide  him  in  words,  and 
even  to  threaten  him,  when  he  treated  them  with  severity, 
and  when  the  Prophet  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  the  people 
was  irreclaimable,  he,  being  armed  with  confidence,  no  doubt 
went  forth  very  often  among  them,  and  said,  "  Ye  think  that 
you  shall  be  unpunished,  while  ye  make  a  mock  of  what  I 
teach;  ye  shall  surely  find  at  last  that  the  ways  of  the  Lord 
are  right."  And  I  have  already  reminded  you,  that  the  Pro- 
phets, after  having  harangued  the  people  at  large  and  in  many 
words,  reduced  at  last  into  brief  heads  what  they  had  taught ; 
for  it  is  not  probable,  that  since  Hosea  had  so  long  discharged 
the  office  of  a  teacher,  he  had  spoken  only  these  few  tilings, 
which  might  have  been  gone  through  in  three  hours.  This 
is  absurd.  But  when  he  had  diligently  attended  to  the  office 
deputed  to  him,  he  afterwards,  as  I  have  said,  collected 
together  these  few  chapters,  that  the  remembrance  of  his 
teaching  might  be  perpetuated.  What  he  was  constrained 
then  often  to  repeat,  he  now  lays  down  at  the  end  of  his 


504  THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.   LECT.  XXXVIII. 

book,  that  it  might  be  as  it  were  a  complete  sealing  up  of  his 
teaching. 

Who  is  tvise,  he  says,  and  he  will  understand  these  things  ? 
who  is  intelligent,  and  he  tvill  know  them  ?  This  interrogatory 
mode  is  expressive ;  for  Hosea  was  amazed  at  the  fewness  of 
those  who  yielded  themselves  to  be  taught  by  God.  The 
Israelites,  no  doubt,  arrogated  to  themselves  great  wisdom,  as 
ungodly  men  are  wont  to  do.  For  they  seem  to  themselves 
to  be  then  especially  acute,  when  they  Laugh  at  every  thing 
like  piety,  when  they  treat  God's  name  with  scorn,  and  indulge 
themselves,  as  we  see  at  this  day,  in  their  own  impiety.  And 
this  diabolical  rage  lays  hold  on  many,  because  they  think 
that  they  would  be  very  simple  and  stupid,  were  they  to 
embrace  any  thing  the  Scripture  contains.  "  O  !  what  is  faith 
but  foolish  credulity  ?"  This  is  the  thought  that  comes  to 
their  minds.  There  are  also  filthy  dogs,  who  hesitate  not  to 
vomit  forth  such  a  reproach  as  this,  "  Only  believe  !  but 
what  is  this  thy  believing,  but  wilfully  to  give  up  all  judg- 
ment and  all  choice,  and  to  allow  thyself  to  be  like  mute 
cattle  driven  here  and  there  ?  If  then  thou  art  wise,  believe 
nothing."  Thus  godless  men  speak ;  and  hence,  as  I  have 
said,  they  pride  themselves  on  their  own  acuteness,  when 
they  can  shake  off  every  fear  of  God  and  all  regard  for  divine 
truth.  There  were  many  such,  we  may  easily  believe,  in  the 
time  of  the  Prophet.  Since  then  the  whole  land  was  filled 
with  dreadful  contempt  of  God,  and  yet  men  commonly 
thought  themselves  wise,  nay,  imagined  in  their  deep  thoughts, 
as  Isaiah  says,  that  they  could  deceive  God,  he  now  asks, 
Who  is  wise,  and  he  will  understand?  As  though  he  said,  "I 
indeed  see,  that  if  I  believe  you,  ye  are  all  wise ;  for,  imitat- 
ing the  giants,  ye  dare  to  rise  up  against  God,  and  ye  think 
yourselves  ingenious  when  ye  elude  every  truth,  when  ye 
proudly  tread  religion  under  foot ;  in  this  way  ye  are  all  wise. 
But  at  the  same  time,  if  there  be  any  grain  of  wisdom  in  you, 
you  must  surely  acknowledge  me  to  be  sent  by  God,  and  that 
what  I  declare  is  not  the  invention  of  men,  but  the  word  of 
the  living  God."  We  now  then  see  what  force  there  is  in 
this  question,  when  the  Prophet  says.  Who  is  wise,  and  he 
will  understand  these  things  f  who  is  intelligent^  and  he  will 
know  them  ? 


CHAP.  XIV.  9.        COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  505 

We  at  the  same  time  see  that  the  Prophet  here  condemns 
all  the  wisdom  of  men,  and  as  it  were  thunders  from  heaven 
against  the  pride  of  those  who  thus  presumptuously  mock 
God ;  for  how  much  soever  they  imagined  themselves  to  be 
pre-eminent,  he  intimates  that  they  were  both  blind  and  stupid 
and  mad.  Who  then  is  icise  ?  he  says.  But  at  the  same  time, 
he  shows  that  the  true  wisdom  of  men  is  to  obey  God  and 
to  embrace  his  word  ;  as  it  is  said  in  another  place,  that  wis- 
dom and  the  beginning  of  wisdom  is  the  fear  of  God,  (Prov. 
i.  7.)  Whosoever  then  wishes  to  be  truly  wise,  he  must 
begin  with  the  fear  of  God  and  with  reverence  to  his  word ; 
for  where  there  Is  no  religion,  men  cannot  certainly  under- 
stand any  thing  aright.  Let  us  suppose  men  endued,  not 
only  with  great  clearness  of  mind,  but  also  with  the  know- 
ledge of  all  the  sciences ;  let  them  be  philosophers,  let 
them  be  physicians,  let  them  be  lawyers,  let  nothing  be 
wanting  to  them,  except  that  they  have  no  true  knowledge 
of  eternal  life,  would  it  not  be  better  for  them  to  be  mere 
cattle  than  to  be  thus  wise,  to  exercise  their  minds  for  a  short 
time  on  fading  things,  and  to  know  that  all  their  highly  valued 
treasure  shall  perish  with  their  life  ?  Surely  to  be  thus  wise 
is  far  more  wretched  than  if  men  were  wholly  void  of 
understanding.  Justly  then  does  the  Prophet  intimate  here 
that  those  were  not  only  foolish,  but  also  mad,  and  wholly 
destitute  of  all  understanding,  who  regarded  not  celestial 
truth,  and  Avere  deaf  to  the  Prophets,  and  discerned  not  Avhen 
God  spake,  nor  understood  the  power  of  his  word.  All  then 
who  are  not  thus  wise,  the  Prophet  justly  says,  are  utterly 
void  of  all  prudence  and  judgment :  he  therefore  repeats  the 
same  thing,  Who  is  wise,  and  he  will  understand  these  things  ? 
who  is  intelligent,  and  he  loill  knoiv  them  ?  that  is,  "  If  any  excels 
others,  he  ought  surely  to  show  in  this  particular  his  wisdom, 
and  if  any  one  is  endued  with  common  understanding,  he 
ought  to  know  what  this  doctrine  means,  In  which  the  image 
and  glory  of  God  shine  forth  brightly.  All  then  who  know 
and  understand  nothing  in  this  respect  are  no  doubt  altogether 
foolish." 

He  afterwards  adds.  For  right  are  the  loays  of  Jehovah.  He 
alleges  this  truth  In  opposition  to  the  profane  rashness  of  men, 
who  haughtily  reject   God,  and  dare  to  despise  his  word. 


506  THE  TWELVE  MINOE  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVIII. 

Right,  he  says,  are  the  ivays  of  the  Lord :  and  by  saying  that 
they  are  right,  he  no  doubt  glances  at  the  abominable  blas- 
phemies which  the  ungodly  have  recourse  to,  when  they  wish 
to  render  the  word  of  God  not  only  odious  and  contemptible, 
but  also  absurd,  so  as  not  to  deserve  any  respect.  Thus  we 
see  at  this  day,  that  godless  men  not  only  in  words  reject  both 
the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  but  also  search  out  pretences,  that 
they  may  appear  to  be  doing  right  in  destroying  all  faith  in 
the  oracles  of  God.  For  instance,  they  seek  out  every  sort 
of  contradiction  in  Scripture,  every  thing  not  well  received, 
every  thing  different  from  the  common  opinion, — all  these 
absurdities,  as  they  call  them,  they  collect  together,  and  then 
they  draw  this  conclusion,  that  all  those  are  fools,  who  sub- 
mit to  any  religion,  since  the  word  of  God,  as  they  say,  con- 
tains so  many  absurd  things.  This  raving  madness  prevailed 
then  no  doubt  in  the  world  :  and  the  Prophet,  by  saying  that 
right  are  the  ways  of  Jehovah,  means,  that  how  much  soever 
the  ungodly  may  clamour,  or  murmur,  or  taunt,  nothing  is  yet 
done  by  the  Lord  but  what  is  right,  and  free  from  every 
blame  and  defect.  However  much  then  the  ungodly  may 
vomit  forth  slanders  against  the  word  of  God,  it  is  the 
same  as  if  they  threw  dust  into  the  air  to  darken  the  light  of 
the  sun  ;  just  so  much  they  effect,  he  seems  to  say,  by  their 
audacity  :  for  perfect  rectitude  will  ever  be  found  in  the 
ways  of  the  Lord;  his  word  will  ever  be  found  free  from  every 
stain  or  defect. 

He  then  adds.  And  the  just  shall  walk  in  them,  hut  in  them 
shall  the  ungodly  stumble.  By  saying  that  the  just  shall  walk 
in  them,  he  confirms  the  last  sentence  by  experience,  for  the 
just  really  find  the  ways  of  the  Lord  to  he  right.  We  ought 
also  to  be  furnished  with  this  assurance,  if  we  would  boldly 
repel  all  the  impious  calumnies,  which  are  usually  heaped  to- 
gether by  profane  men  against  the  word  of  God :  for  if  we 
know  not  what  it  is  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  we  shall 
surely,  as  soon  as  any  thing  is  alleged  against  them,  be  sus- 
pended in  doubt,  or  be  wholly  upset ;  for  we  see  that  many, 
not  deeply  rooted  in  the  word  of  God,  instantly  quail,  as  soon 
as  any  thing  is  said  against  it,  because  they  know  not  what 
it  is  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  ;  but  they  who  walk  in 


CHAP.  XIV.  9.       COMMENTARIES  ON  HOSEA.  507 

the  Lord's  ways  courageously  fight  against  all  the  temptations 
of  the  world ;  they  carry  on  the  contest  that  they  may  attain 
celestial  Hfe ;  they  feel  assured,  that  though  now  miserable 
for  a  time,  they  shall  yet  be  blessed,  for  they  have  embraced 
the  grace  of  God  in  Christ ;  they  are  sustained  too  by  their 
own  conscience,  so  that  they  can  look  down  on  all  the  re- 
proaches and  slanders  of  the  world,  and  proceed  onward  in 
their  course.  They  then  who  thus  walk  in  the  ways  of  the 
Lord  are  unconquerable ;  yea,  were  the  whole  world  to  op- 
pose them,  and  were  the  ungodly  with  their  profane  words 
to  infect  the  whole  atmosphere,  the  godly  would  still  pursue 
their  course  until  they  reached  the  end.  All  the  tmys  of  Je- 
hovah are  therefore  right,  the  just  shall  toalk  in  them ;  hut  in 
them  shall  the  ungodly  stumble,  or  fall ;  for  ^^'2,  cashel,  means 
both,  but  I  prefer  rendering  it  "stumble,"  as  it  seems  more 
suitable  to  the  design  of  the  Prophet. 

The  just  then  find  a  plain  and  an  even  way  in  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  and  nothing  stands  in  their  path  to  obstruct  their 
course,  and  by  daily  advances  they  attain  t|iat  to  which  the 
Lord  calls  them,  even  their  celestial  inheritance.  The  just 
shall  thus  walk  in  the  Lord's  ways,  because  the  Lord  will  lead 
them,  as  it  were,  by  his  hand ;  faith  will  be  to  them  for  hun- 
dred eyes,  and  also  for  wings :  and  hope,  at  the  same  time, 
sustains  them ;  for  they  are  armed  with  promises  and  encou- 
ragements; they  have  also  stimulants,  whenever  the  Lord 
earnestly  exhorts  them ;  they  have,  besides,  in  his  threaten- 
ings,  such  terrors  as  keep  them  awake.  Thus  then  the  faith- 
ful find  in  the  word  of  the  Lord  the  best  ways,  and  they 
follow  them.  But  what  of  the  ungodly?  They  imagine  all 
doubts,  even  the  least,  to  be  mountains :  for  as  soon  as  they 
meet  with  any  thing  intricate  or  obscure,  they  are  confounded, 
and  say,  "  I  would  gladly  seek  to  know  the  Holy  Scripture, 
but  I  meet  with  so  many  difficulties."  Hence  when  a  doubt 
is  suggested,  they  regard  it  as  a  mountain;  nay,  they  pur- 
posely pretend  doubts,  that  they  may  have  some  excuse, 
when  they  wish  to  evade  the  truth,  and  turn  aside  that  they 
may  not  follow  the  Lord.  The  ungodly,  then,  stumble  in  the 
ways  of  Jehovah.  But  this  ought  to  be  read  adversatively, 
"  Though  the  ungodly  stumble,  yet  the  just  shall  always  walk 


508  THE  TAVELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS.  LECT.  XXXVIII. 

In  the  ways  of  Jehovah ; "  which  means,  that  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  ungodly  should  stop  or  retard  us  by  their  con- 
tinual stumbling,  and  by  exclaiming  that  the  word  of  God  is 
full  of  what  gives  oiFence ;  for  we  shall  find  in  it  an  even  way, 
only  let  us  ascribe  to  God  this  glory,  that  he  is  just,  and  that 
his  ways  are  right.     This  is  the  meaning  of  the  sentence. 


END  OF  THE  PROPHECIES  OF  HOSEA. 


A  TKANSLATION 


OF 


CALVIN'S  VERSION 


OF 


THE  PEOPHECIES  OF  HOSEA 


AS  MODIFIED  BY 


HIS  COMMENTARIES. 


A  TRMSLATION 


OF 


CALVIN'S  VERSION 


OF 


THE  PROPHECIES  OF  HOSEA. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

^  The  word  of  Jehovah,  which  came  to  Hosea,  the  son  of 
Beeri,  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  Hezekiah,  kings 
of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Joash, 
king  of  Israel.  ^  The  beginning  of  what  Jehovah  spoke  by 
Hosea :  Jehovah  said  to  Hosea,  "  Go,  take  to  thee  a  wife  of 
wantonness,  and  children  of  wantonness ;  for  by  wantoning 
the  land  hath  become  wanton,  so  that  it  follows  not  Jehovah." 
^  And  he  went  and  took  Gomer,  the  daughter  of  Diblaim ; 
and  she  conceived,  and  bare  him  a  son :  *  And  Jehovah  said 
to  him,  "  Call  his  name  Jezreel ;  for  yet  a  little  while  and  I 
will  visit  the  blood  of  Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu,  and 
will  cause  to  cease  the  kingdom  of  the  house  of  Israel ;  ^  And 
it  shall  be  in  that  day,  that  I  will  break  in  pieces  the  bow  in 
the  valley  of  Jezreel." 

^  And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  daughter ;  and  he 
said  to  him,  "  Call  her  name  Lo-ruchamah ;  for  I  will  no 
more  show  mercy  to  the  house  of  Israel,  for  I  will  utterly 
take  them  away :  (56.^) 

'  This  number  refers  to  the  page  where  another  rendering  is  proposed. 


512  NEW  TRANSLATION  OP  HOSEA.      CHAP.  II.  1-5. 

But  to  the  house  of  Judah  I  will  show  mercy,  and  will 
save  them  by  Jehovah  their  God ;  and  I  will  save  them  nei- 
ther by  the  bow,  nor  by  the  sword,  nor  by  battle,  nor  by 
horses,  nor  by  horsemen." 

®  And  she  weaned  Lo-ruchamah,  and  conceived,  and  bare 
a  son ;  ^  And  he  said,  "  Call  his  name  Lo-ammi ;  for  ye  are 
not  my  people,  and  I  will  not  be  yours  :  ^'^  Yet  the  number 
of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  which 
cannot  be  measured  nor  numbered ;  and  it  shall  be,  that  iu 
the  place  where  it  had  been  said  to  them,  *  Ye  are  not  my 
people,'  even  there  it  shall  be  said,  ^  Ye  are  the  children  of 
the  living  God :'  '  ^  And  assembled  together  shall  be  the 
children  of  Judah  and  the  children  of  Israel,  and  shall  set 
over  themselves  one  head,  and  shall  ascend  from  the  land, 
though  great  shall  be  the  day  of  Jezreel." 


CHAPTER  lU 

'  Say  to  your  brethren,  "  My  people ;" 
And  to  your  sisters,  "  Beloved." — 

^  Contend  with  your  mother,  contend ; 
For  she  is  not  my  wife,  and  I  am  not  her  husband : 
Let  her  then  remove  her  fornications  from  her  face, 
And  her  adulteries  from  the  midst  of  her  breasts ; 

^  Lest  I  strip  her  naked. 
And  place  her  as  on  the  day  of  her  nativity. 
And  set  her  as  the  desert,  and  set  her  as  a  dry  land, 
And  make  her  to  die  with  thirst. 

^  And  her  children  I  will  not  pity ; 
For  they  are  spurious  children  : 

®  For  the  wanton  has  their  mother  played ; 
With  lewdness  is  she  defiled  who  hath  conceived  them 
For  she  said, — "  I  will  go  after  my  lovers, 
Who  give  me  my  bread  and  my  waters, 


1  The  portions  supposed  to  be  in  the  original  in  a  poetical  metre  are 
placed  here  in  parallel  lines,  not  because  they  are  so  an-auged  by  Calvin 
but  for  the  purpose  of  setting  forth  the  meaning  in  a  clearer  light.    It  is 
proper  also  to  say,  that  the  sectional  divisions  are  those  of  the  Editor. 


CHAP.  II.  6-15.       NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  513 

My  wool,  and  my  flax,  and  my  oil,  and  my  drink." 
^  Behold,  therefore,  I  will  close  up  her  way  with  thorns, 

And  surround  her  with  a  mound. 

And  her  path  she  shall  not  find  ; 
^  And  she  will  follow  her  lovers,  and  shall  not  overtake  them, 

And  will  seek  them,  and  shall  not  find  them ; 

Then  she  will  say, — "  I  will  go  and  return  to  my  former 
husband. 

For  better  was  it  with  me  then  than  now." 
*  And  she  knew  not  that  I  gave  to  her  corn,  and  wine,  and 
oil, 

And  multiplied  to  her  the  silver  and  the  gold, 

Which  they  applied  to  Baal. 
^  I  will  therefore  return,  and  take  away  the  corn  in  its  time. 

And  my  new  wine  in  its  season ; 

And  will  snatch  away  my  wool  and  flax. 

By  which  she  covered  her  own  nakedness ; 
^*'  And  I  will  now  uncover  her  baseness  before  the  eyes  of 
her  lovers. 

And  no  one  shall  rescue  her  from  my  hand  ; 
'^  And  I  will  cause  to  cease  all  her  joy  and  her  mirth, 

Her  new  moon,  her  sabbath,  and  every  festal-day  ; 
^^  And  I  will  destroy  her  vine  and  her  fig-tree. 

Of  which  she  said, — "  These  are  my  rewards. 

Which  my  lovers  have  given  me ;" 

And  will  set  them  as  the  forest. 

And  eat  them  shall  the  beast  of  the  field ; 
^^  And  I  will  visit  on  her  the  days  of  Baalim, 

To  whom  she  offered  incense. 

And  adorned  herself  with  her  ear-ring  and  her  chain. 

And  went  after  her  lovers,  and  forgat  me,  saith  Jehovah. 

^*  Behold,  therefore,  I  will  turn  her. 

When  I  shall  have  led  her  to  the  desert. 

And  will  speak  to  her  heart ; 
^^  And  will  give  her  thence  her  vineyards, 

And  the  valley  of  Achor  for  a  door  of  hope ; 

And  there  she  will  sing  as  in  the  days  of  her  youth. 

And  as  in  the  day  she  ascended  from  the  land  of  Egypt. 
VOL.  I.  2  k 


514  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.      CHAP.  HI.  1-4. 

1^  And  it  shall  be  in  that  day,  saith  Jehovah, 

That  thou  shalt  call  me,—"  My  Husband," 

And  shalt  no  more  call  me, — "  My  Baal :" 
^^  And  I  will  take  away  the  names  of  Baalim  from  her  mouth, 

And  she  will  no  more  remember  their  name  : 
^^  I  will  also  make  for  them  a  covenant,  in  that  day, 

With  the  beast  of  the  field,  and  the  bird  of  heaven,  and 
the  reptile  of  the  earth  ; 

And  the  bow,  and  the  sword,  and  the  battle, 

I  will  break  from  the  land ; 

And  I  will  make  them  rest  in  security : 
^^  I  will  also  espouse  thee  to  me  for  ever, 

And  espouse  thee  to  me  in  righteousness. 

And  in  judgment,  and  in  kindness,  and  in  mercies  ; 

And  I  will  espouse  thee  to  me  in  faithfulness, 

And  thou  shalt  know  Jehovah. 
^**  And  in  that  day  I  will  hear,  saith  Jehovah, 

I  will  hear  the  heavens,  and  they  will  hear  the  earth, 

And  the  earth  will  hear  the  corn,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil, 

And  these  will  hear  Jezreel : 

And  I  will  sow  her  for  me  in  the  land, 

And  show  mercy  to  her  who  obtained  not  mercy. 

And  will  say  to  Lo-ammi, — "  Ye  are  my  people," 

And  they  will  say, — "  Thou  art  our  God." 


CHAPTER  HI. 

^  And  Jehovah  said  to  me, — "  Go  again,  love  a  woman  be- 
loved by  a  husband,  and  who  is  an  adulteress, — according  to 
the  love  of  Jehovah  towards  the  children  of  Israel,  who  yet 
look  to  strange  gods,  and  love  flagons  of  grapes."  ^  And  I 
bought  her  for  myself  for  fifteen  silverings  and  one  homer  of 
barley,  and  half  an  homer  of  barley.  ^  And  I  said  to  her, — 
"  For  many  days  shalt  thou  abide  for  me  ;  thou  shalt  not  play 
the  wanton,  and  shalt  not  be  for  any  man,  and  I  also  shall  be 
for  thee."  *  For  the  children  of  Israel  shall  for  many  days 
abide  without  a  king,  and  without  a  prince,  and  Avithout  a 
sacrifice,  and  without  a  statue,  and  without  an  epliod,  and 


CUAP.  IV.  1-10.      NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  515 

without  teraphlm.  Afterward  shall  the  children  of  Israel 
return  and  seek  Jehovah  their  God,  and  David  their  king ; 
and  they  shall  fear  Jehovah  and  his  goodness  at  the  end  of 
days. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

1  Hear  the  word  of  Jehovah,  ye  children  of  Israel ; 

For  a  contention  has  Jehovah  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land, 

For  there  is  no  faithfulness  and  no  kindness, 

And  no  knowledge  of  God  in  the  land : 
^  Cursing,  and  lying,  and  murder. 

And  stealing,  and  adultery,  have  burst  forth ; 

And  blood  have  touched  blood. 
^  Mourn  therefore  shall  the  land, 

And  languish  shall  every  one  who  dwells  in  it ; 

Together  with  the  beast  of  the  field,  the  bird  of  heaven, 

And  also  the  fish  of  the  sea,  shall  they  be  taken  away. 
*  But  yet  no  man  may  rebuke  and  reprove  a  man ; 

For  thy  people  are  as  those  who  chide  the  priest. 
^  Fall  then  shalt  thou  in  the  day-time. 

And  fall  also  shall  the  Prophet  with  thee  in  the  night ; 

And  I  will  destroy  thy  mother. 
^  Perished  have  my  people  without  knowledge  : 

As  thou  hast  rejected  knowledge,  I  will  also  reject  thee, 

That  thou  shalt  not  discharge  for  me  the  priesthood  ; 

And  as  thou  hast  forgotten  the  law  of  thy  God, 

Thy  children  will  I  also  forget. 
^  According  to  their  increase,  so  have  they  sinned  against 
me: 

Their  glory  will  I  turn  to  shame. 
^  The  sin  of  my  people  they  eat, 

And  to  their  iniquity  they  raise  up  the  soul  of  each.  (154) 
^  And  it  shall  be,  as  the  people  so  shall  be  the  priest ; 

And  I  will  visit  on  them  their  ways, 
And  their  Avorks  will  I  repay  them  : 
^^  For  they  shall  eat,  and  shall  not  be  satisfied ; 


516  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSE  A.  CHAP.  V.  1 . 

They  shall  play  the  wanton,  and  shall  not  increase  ; 
For  Jehovah  have  they  left  off  to  serve. 

^^  Wantonness  and  wine,  and  new  wine,  take  away  the  heart. 
"  My  people  their  wood  consult, 

And  their  staff  answers  them  ; 

For  the  spirit  of  wantonness  has  deceived  them, 

And  they  have  played  the  wanton  away  from  their  God  : 
"  On  the  tops  of  mountains  they  sacrifice. 

And  on  hills  they  burn  incense — 

Under  the  oak,  and  the  poplar,  and  the  teil-tree, 

For  pleasant  is  its  shade. 

Therefore  your  daughters  shall  become  wanton, 

And  your  daughters-in-law  shall  be  adulteresses. — 
^*  I  will  not  punish  your  daughters,  because  they  become 
wanton. 

Nor  your  daughters-in-law,  because  they  have  committed 
adulteries ; 

For  they  with  strumpets  separate  themselves, 

And  with  harlots  they  sacrifice : — 

And  the  people  who  understand  not  shall  stumble. 

^^  If  thou,  Israel,  art  become  wanton,  let  not  Judah  offend  ; 

Come  ye  not  to  Gilgal,  nor  ascend  into  Bethaven, 

Nor  swear,  Jehovah  liveth. 
^^  For  as  an  untameable  heifer,  untameable  is  Israel : 

Now  feed  him  will  Jehovah,  as  a  tender  lamb,  in  a  spacious 
place. 
*^  To  idols  has  Ephraim  joined  himself; — leave  him. 
^®  Putrid  is  become  their  drink. 

By  wantoning  they  have  become  wanton  ; 

"  Bring  ye,"  have  their  princes  shamefully  loved. 
^^  They  have  bound  up  wind  in  their  wings, 

And  ashamed  they  shall  be  of  their  sacrifices. 


CHAPTER  V. 

^  Hear  this,  ye  priests,  and  attend,  ye  house  of  Israel, 


CHAP.  V.  2-14.     NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  517 

And  ye  house  of  the  king,  give  ear, — 

For  to  you  is  judgment ; 

For  a  snare  have  you  been  in  Mizpah, 

And  a  net  expanded  over  Tabor. 
'  And  turning  aside  in  sacrificing  they  are  deeply  fixed  ; 

Yet  a  correction  have  I  been  to  them  all. 
^  I  have  known  Ephraim,  and  Israel  is  not  hid  from  rae ; 

For  thou  Ephraim  art  wanton,  polluted  is  Israel. 

*  They  apply  not  their  endeavours  to  turn  to  their  God  ; 
For  the  spirit  of  wantonness  is  in  the  midst  of  them. 
And  Jehovah  they  have  not  known ; 

^  And  testify  does  the  pride  of  Israel  to  his  face  t 
Israel  then  and  Ephraim  shall  fall  in  their  iniquity, 
Fall  also  shall  Judah  with  them. 

*  With  their  sheep  and  their  herds  shall  they  go  to  seek 

Jehovah ; 
But  shall  not  find  him  :  he  has  separated  himself  from 

them. 
^  With  Jehovah  have  they  dealt  perfidiously  ; 
For  strange  children  have  they  begotten  : 
Now  devour  them  shall  a  month,  together  with  their  portions. 

®  Sound  the  cornet  in  Gibeah,  blow  the  trumpet  in  Ramah, 

Blow  also  the  horn  in  Bethaven  after  thee,  Benjamin  : — 
"  Ephraim  shall  be  a  waste  in  the  day  of  correction  ; 

Amons:  the  tribes  of  Israel  have  I  tauojht  this  truth. 
^^  The  princes  of  Judah  have  been  as  those  who  remove  the 
boundary  ; 

On  them  will  I  pour,  as  waters,  my  fury. 
^^  Exposed  to  plunder  has  Ephraim  been,  broken  by  judgment; 

For  he  willingly  walked  after  the  commandments. 
'^  And  as  a  moth  have  I  been  to  Ephraim, 

And  as  a  worm  to  the  house  of  Judah  ; 
^^  And  Ephraim  saw  his  disease,  and  Judah  his  wound  ; 

Ephraim  went  to  Assur,  and  sent  to  king  Jareb  : 

Yet  he  could  not  heal  you,  nor  will  he  cure  you  of  your 
wound ; 
^*  For  as  a  lion  shall  I  be  to  Ephraim, 

And  as  a  voung  lion  to  the  house  of  Judah  ; 


518  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.    CHAP.  VI.  1-10. 

I — I  will  tear  and  go  away  ; 
I  will  take  away,  and  none  shall  deliver. — 
^^  I  will  go,  I  will  return  to  my  place, 
Until  they  confess  that  they  have  sinned,  and  seek  my  face : 
When  they  shall  have  affliction,  they  will  seek  me :  — 


CHAPTER  VI. 

^  "  Come  and  let  us  return  to  Jehovah ; 

For  he  hath  torn,  and  he  will  heal  us  ; 

He  hath  smitten,  and  he  will  bind  up  our  wounds  : 
^  He  will  revive  us  after  two  days. 

On  the  third  day  he  will  raise  us  up, 
^  And  we  shall  live  in  his  presence  : 

And  we  shall  know  and  pursue  after  the  knowledge  of 
Jehovah  ; 

As  the  dawn,  his  going  forth  is  appointed ; 

And  he  shall  come  as  the  rain  to  us, 

As  the  latter  rain — a  rain  to  the  earth."  (220) 

''  What  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Ephraim  ? 

What  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Judah  ? 

For  your  goodness  is  like  the  morning  dew, 

Like  the  cloud  which  passeth  away  early. 
^  I  have  therefore  hewn  them  by  my  Prophets, 

I  have  slain  them  by  the  words  of  my  mouth ; 

And  thy  judgments  have  been  as  the  light  which  goeth 
forth : 
6  For  mercy  I  desire,  and  not  sacrifice, 

And  the  knowledge  of  God  before  burnt-offerings. 
'  But  they  as  men  have  transgressed  the  covenant ; 

In  this  they  have  dealt  perfidiously  with  me. 
"  Gilead  is  a  city  of  those  who  work  iniquity,  fiUed  with  blood; 
9  And,  as  robbers  wait  for  a  man. 

The  company  of  priests  kill  in  the  way  by  consent ; 

For  their  wicked  purpose  they  accomplish. 
^'*  In  the  house  of  Israel  have  I  seen  infamy ; 

There  is  the  wantonness  of  Ephraim, — Israel  is  polluted. 


CHAP.  VII.  1-10.    NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  519 

^'  Judah  also  did  set  a  plant  for  thee, 
While  I  was  restoring  the  captivity  of  my  people. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

^  While  I  was  healing  Israel, 

Then  were  discovered  the  iniquity  of  Ephraim, 

And  the  vices  of  Samaria ; 

For  they  dealt  falsely,  and  the  thief  entered  in, 

The  robber  plundered  abroad : 
-  And  they  said  not  in  their  heart. 

That  I  remember  all  their  wickedness  ; 

Surrounded  them  have  now  their  vices, — they  are  in  my  sigh  t . 
"^  By  their  wickedness  they  cheer  the  king, 

And  by  their  falsehoods  the  princes. 
"•  All  are  adulterers,  like  an  oven  heated  by  the  baker ; 

Who  ceases  from  stirring  up. 

After  mixing  the  dough,  till  it  be  fermented. 
''  The  day  of  our  king  ! — the  princes 

Have  made  him  sick  with  a  bottle  of  wine ; — 

He  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  scorners. 
''  For  they  have  made  ready,  as  an  oven, 

Their  heart,  for  lying  in  wait : 

All  the  night  their  baker  sleeps ; 

In  the  morning  the  oven  burns  as  a  flaminof  fire. 
^  All  are  hot  like  an  oven ; 

They  have  consumed  their  own  judges, — 

All  their  kings  have  fallen ; — 

No  one  among  them  cries  to  me. 

s  Ephraim  mingles  himself  with  the  nations ; 

Ephraim  is  become  bread  baked  under  the  ashes, 

Which  has  not  been  turned : 
'*  Eaten  have  strangers  his  strength,  and  he  knows  it  not ; 

And  hoariness  has  spread  over  him,  and  he  knows  it  not ; 
^•^  And  testify  does  the  pride  of  Israel  to  his  face ; 

But  they  have  not  returned  to  Jehovah  their  God, 

Nor  sought  him  notwithstandino-  all  these  things. 


520  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.     CHAP.  VIII.  1-5. 

^^  Ephraim  is  also  like  a  silly  dove,  without  understanding ; 

They  cry  on  Egypt,  they  go  to  Assyria : 
^^  But  when  they  go,  I  will  expand  over  them  my  net, 

As  a  bird  of  heaven,  I  will  bring  them  down, 

I  will  hold  them  fast,  as  their  assembly  have  heard. 
^*  Woe  to  them  !    for  they  have  gone  back  from  me  ; 

Desolation  to  them !  for  they  have  dealt  perfidiously  with  me : 

Though  I  redeemed  them. 

They  have  yet  spoken  lies  against  me : 
"  And  they  have  not  cried  to  me  with  their  heart ; 

For  they  howled  on  their  beds ; 

For  corn  and  wine  they  assemble  together ; — 

They  have  revolted  from  me  :  (269) 
^■'  Though  I  have  bound  and  strengthened  their  arras, 

Yet  against  me  they  contrive  evil. 
*^  They  return  not  to  God ; 

They  have  been  like  a  deceitful  bow : 

Fallen  by  the  sword  have  their  princes, 

Through  the  pride  of  their  tongue ; — 

This  will  be  their  reproach  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

^  To  thy  mouth  the  trumpet ! 

As  an  eagle,  against  the  house  of  Jehovah  ; 

For  they  have  transgressed  my  covenant. 

And  against  my  law  have  they  acted  perfidiously. 
^  To  me  will  Israel  exclaim, 

"  My  God,  we  have  knowni  thee." 
^  Israel  has  cast  good  far  away ; — 

The  enemy  will  closely  pursue  him  : 

*  They  have  caused  to  reign,  but  not  by  me ; 
Dominion  have  they  set  up,  but  I  knew  not ; 

Of  their  silver  and  their  gold  they  have  made  for  them- 
selves idols ; 
They  shall  therefore  be  cut  off. 

*  Cast  thee  far  away  has  thy  calfj  O  Samaria ! — 


CHAP.  IX.  1,  2.     NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  52 1 

Kindled  has  my  fury  against  them : 

How  long  will  they  not  bear  cleanness  ? 
^  For  even  from  Israel  it  is ; 

The  artificer  has  made  it,  and  it  is  no  god ; 

For  in  fragments  shall  be  the  calf  of  Samaria. 
7  Surely  the  wind  they  sow,  and  the  tempest  they  shall  reap  ; 

There  is  no  stalk, — the  grain  will  produce  no  flour ; 

If  indeed  it  will  produce,  strangers  will  devour  it. 
s  Devoured  is  Israel, — now  shall  he  be  among  the  Gentiles, 

Like  a  vessel  in  which  there  is  no  delight : 
^  For  they  went  up  to  Assyria,  like  a  solitary  wild  ass ;  — 

Ephraim  hired  lovers : 
^"Though  they  have  hired  among  the  nations,  I  will  now 
gather  them ; 

And  they  shall  grieve  a  little  under  the  burden  of  the  king 
and  princes. 
'^  Because  Ephraim  has  multiplied  altars  to  sin, 

Altars  for  sinning  shall  be  to  him. 

^- 1  have  written  for  him  the  pi'ccious  things  of  my  law ; 

As  something  strange  have  they  been  accounted. 
^^  For  sacrifices  of  burnt-offerings  they  offer  flesh,  and  eat ; 

Jehovah  will  not  regard  it  as  acceptable  : 

He  will  now  remember  their  iniquity. 

He  will  visit  their  wickedness ; — 

To  Egypt  shall  they  return. 
'"*  For  Israel  has  his  Maker  forgotten,  and  built  altars : 

Judah  also  has  multiplied  fortified  cities ; 

But  I  will  send  fire  on  his  cities. 

And  It  shall  devour  his  palaces. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

^  Rejoice  not,  Israel,  with  joy  like  that  of  the  people ; 

For  thou  hast  become  wanton  from  thy  God ; 

Thou  hast  loved  wages  on  all  the  floors  of  corn. — 
-  The  floor  and  the  vat  shall  not  feed  them. 

And  the  new  wine  shall  disappoint  them : 


522  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSE  A.    CHAP.  IX.  3-12. 

^  They  shall  not  dwell  in  the  land  of  Jehovah ; 

And  return  shall  Ephraim  to  Egypt, 

And  in  Assyria  they  shall  eat  what  is  unclean : 
*  To  Jehovah  they  shall  not  pour  wine, 

And  acceptable  to  him  shall  not  be  their  libations ; 

Their  sacrifices  shall  be  to  them  as  the  bread  of  mourners, — 

Whosoever  will  eat  shall  be  polluted ; 

For  their  bread  for  their  soul, 

It  shall  not  come  into  the  house  of  Jehovah. 

^  What  will  ye  do  on  the  solemn  day, 

On  the  festal-day  of  Jehovah  ? 
^  For,  behold,  they  are  gone  away  on  account  of  desolation ; — 

Egypt  will  gather  them,  Memphis  will  bury  them. 

The  wished-for  store  of  their  silver  will  the  nettle  possess, — 

The  thorn  shall  be  In  their  tents. 

^  The  days  of  visitation  have  come. 

The  days  of  retribution  have  come  : 

Israel  shall  know  the  prophet  to  be  foolish. 

And  mad  the  man  of  the  spirit, — 

For  the  number  of  thy  iniquity  and  great  hatred. 
^  The  watchman  of  Ephraim  for  my  God,  the  prophet, 

Is  a  snare  of  a  fowler  on  all  his  ways, 

A  hateful  thing  in  the  house  of  his  God. — (327) 
^  They  are  deeply  fixed,  corrupt  are  they  as  in  the  days  of 
Gibeah : 

He  will  remember  their  iniquity,  he  will  visit  their  sins. 
^0  As  grapes  In  the  desert  I  found  Israel, 

As  the  first  fruit  of  the  fig-tree,  at  Its  beginning,  I  saw  your 
fathers : — 

They  went  in  into  Baalpeor, 

And  separated  themselves  unto  shame, 

And  became  abominable  like  their  lovers. 
'^ Ephraim! — as  a  bird  has  fled  their  glory — (336) 

From  the  birth,  and  from  the  womb,  and  from  the  conception : 
12  For  if  they  bring  up  their  children, 

I  shall  exterminate  them,  that  they  shall  not  be  men : — 

Surely,  woe  to  them,  when  I  shall  depart  from  them  ! 


CHAP.  X.  1-4.       NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  523 

^'  Ephraim,  as  I  have  seen  in  Tyrus, 

Is  a  tree  planted  in  a  house :  (339) 

Yet  Ephraim  is  to  bring  forth  to  the  slaughter  his  chil- 
dren! 
^^  "  Give  to  them,  Jehovah, — what  wilt  thou  give  ? 

Give  to  them  an  abortive  womb  and  dry  breasts." 

^^  All  their  evil  is  in  Gilgal ; 

For  there  I  conceived  hatred  against  them : 

On  account  of  the  wickedness  of  their  works, 

From  my  house  I  will  cast  them  out ; 

I  will  not  continue  to  love  them ; — 

All  their  princes  are  apostates. 
^•^  Smitten  has  Ephraim  been ; 

Their  root  has  dried  up, — fruit  they  will  not  bear : 

And  if  they  bring  forth,  I  will  slay 

The  wished-for  fruit  of  their  womb. — 
^^  Cast  them  away  will  my  God ; 

For  they  hearkened  not  to  him  : 

And  they  shall  be  wanderers  among  the  nations. 


CHAPTER  X. 

^  A  vine  robbed  is  Israel ; 

Fruit  will  he  lay  up  for  himself:  (351) 

According  to  the  abundance  of  his  fruit 

Hath  he  abounded  towards  altars ; 

According  to  the  goodness  of  his  land 

Hath  he  done  good  to  statues. 
^  Divided  has  been  their  heart ; 

They  shall  now  be  proved  guilty : — 

He  will  overturn  their  altars, 

He  will  destroy  their  statues. 
^  For  now  they  will  say, — "  We  have  no  king. 

Because  we  feared  not  Jehovah ; 

And  a  king,  what  will  he  do  for  us  ?" — 

They  have  spoken  words  only, — 

Swearing  falsely, — making  a  covenant :  (356) 


524  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.     CHAP.  X  .5-13. 

Judgment  grows  up  as  wormwood  in  the  furrows  of  the 
field. 

*For  the  calves  of  Bethaven,  (359) 

Tremble  will  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria ; 

For  mourn  over  it  will  its  people, 

And  its  priests,  who  rejoice  in  it,  over  its  glory ; 

For  it  shall  depart  from  it ; 
'^  And  itself  shall  to  Assyria  be  carried, 

A  present  to  king  Jareb  : — 

Shame  shall  Ephraim  receive, 

And  ashamed  shall  Israel  be  of  his  counsel. 
^  Cut  down  shall  be  the  king  of  Samaria, 

As  a  foam  on  the  surface  of  the  waters.  (363) 
*  Perish  shall  the  high  places  of  Aven — the  sin  of  Israel ; 

The  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  up  on  their  altars ; 

And  they  shall  say  to  the  mountains,  "  Cover  us," 

And  to  the  hills,  "  Fall  on  us." 

"  From  the  days  of  Gibeah  hast  thou,  Israel,  sinned  : 

There  they  stood, — the  battle  in  Gibeah, 

Against  the  children  of  iniquity,  laid  not  hold  on  them. 
^'^  It  is  my  wish,  and  I  will  chastise  them ; 

And  assembled  against  them  shall  nations  be, 

When  they  shall  be  bound  together  by  their  two   fur- 
rows. (371) 
'^  Ephraim  is  an  heifer,  trained  to  love  the  treading  of  corn ; 

But  I  passed  over  on  her  beautiful  neck ; — 

To  ride  wiU  I  make  Ephraim, — 

Plough  shall  Jud^ih, — harrow  for  himself  shall  Jacob. 

'^  Sow  for  yourselves  in  righteousness. 

Gather  for  your  measure  kindness ; 

Plough  for  yourselves  what  has  been  ploughed : 

And  time  it  is  to  seek  Jehovah,  till  he  come. 

And  rain  righteousness  upon  you  : — 
"  Ye  have  ploughed  ungodliness,  iniquity  have  ye  reaped ; 

Ye  have  eaten  the  fruit  of  falsehood : 

For  you  have  trusted  in  your  own  way. 


CHAP.  XI.  1-8.        NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSE  A.  525 

In  the  multitude  of  thy  valiant  ones. 
•*  A  tumult  shall  therefore  rise  among  thy  people, 

And  every  one  of  thy  fortresses  shall  be  laid  waste, 

According  to  the  devastation  of  Shalman  in  Betharbel : 

In  the  day  of  battle  shall  the  mother, 

With  the  children,  be  dashed  in  pieces. — 
15  Thus  shall  Bethel  do  to  you, 

On  account  of  wickedness — of  your  wickedness : 

In  one  morning  shall  utterly  perish  the  king  of  Israel. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

^  When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him : 

And  from  Egypt  I  called  my  son. — 
'  They   called   them ; — so   they   turWd    away    from    their 
presence ; — 

To  Baalim  they  offered  sacrifices. 

And  to  graven  images  they  burnt  incense. 
^  And  I,  my  walking  was  on  foot. 

To  raise  up  Ephraim  by  his  arms : 

And  they  knew  not  that  I  healed  them. 
''  By  the  cords  of  man  I  drew  them,  by  the  chains  of  love  : 

And  I  was  to  them  as  those  who  raise  up  the  yoke  on  the 
cheeks ; 

And  I  have  extended  meat  to  them. 
^  They  shall  not  return  to  the  land  of  Egypt, 

Assur  shall  I'ule  over  them ; 

For  they  have  been  unwilling  to  return : 
*  And  fall  shall  the  sword  on  their  cities, 

And  destroy  their  bars ; 

And  it  shall  destroy  on  account  of  their  counsels. 
7  For  my  people  are  bent  on  defection  from  me ; 

When  to  the  Most  High  they  call  them, 

No  one  at  all  raises  up  himself. 

'  How  shall  I  set  thee  aside,  Ephraim  ? 
Shall  I  deliver  thee  up,  Israel  ? 
How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Sodom  ? 


526  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  IIOSEA.       CHAP.  XII.  1-6. 

Shall  I  set  thee  as  Zeboim  ? 

Inverted  within  me  is  my  heart, 

Rolled  back  again  are  my  repentings : 
^  I  will  not  execute  the  fury  of  my  wrath, 

I  will  not  return  to  destroy  Ephraim ; 

For  God  am  I,  and  not  man. 

In  the  midst  of  thee,  holy ; — 

And  I  will  not  enter  the  city. 
^^  After  Jehovah  shall  they  walk. 

And  as  a  lion  will  he  roar ; 

When  he  shall  roar,  then  dread  shall  children  from  the 
sea, — 
'^  They  shall  dread  as  a  sparrow  in  Egypt, 

And  as  a  dove  in  the  land  of  Assur ; 

And  I  will  make  them  to  dwell  in  their  own  houses,  saith 
Jehovah. 

^^  Surrounded  me  hath  Ephraim  with  falsehood  : 
And  with  fraud,  the  house  of  Israel : 
But  Judah  as  yet  rules  with  his  God ; 
And  together  with  the  saints  he  is  faithful. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

^  Ephraim  feeds  on  the  wind,  and  pursues  the  east  wind  ; 

Daily  he  multiplies  falsehood  and  devastation  : 

A  covenant  they  make  with  the  Assyrian, 

And  oil  is  carried  into  Egypt. 
^  Jehovah  has  also  a  contention  with  Judah ; 

And  he  will  visit  Jacob ; — according  to  his  ways. 

According  to  his  works,  he  wUl  requite  him. 
^  In  the  womb  he  laid  hold  on  his  brother's  foot. 

And  by  his  strength  he  had  power  with  God ; 
*  And  he  had  power  with  the  Angel  and  prevailed ; 

He  wept  and  entreated  him  : 

In  Bethel  he  found  him ; — and  there  he  spake  with  us, 
^Even  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts, — Jehovah  is  his  memorial. 
^  And  thou,  to  thy  God  return ; 


CHAP.  XIII.  1-2.     NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  52  7 

Goodness  and  judgment  observe, 
And  hope  In  thy  God  always. 

^  Canaan ! — in  his  hand  is  the  balance  of  fraud  ; 

He  loves  to  plunder : 
8  Yet  Ephraim  said,  "  I  am  however  become  rich ; 

I  have  found  wealth  for  myself; 

In  all  my  labours  they  shall  not  find  in  me 

An  iniquity,  which  is  a  sin." 
^  But  I,  Jehovah,  thy  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt, 

Will  yet  make  thee  to  dwell  in  tents. 

As  in  the  days  of  the  assembly. 
^^  I  have  also  spoken  by  the  Prophets, 

And  visions  have  I  multiplied. 

And  through  the  Prophets  used  similitudes  : — 
^^  Is  there  (stUl)  iniquity  in  Gilead  ? — 

Surely  vain  have  they  been  : 

In  Gilgal  they  have  sacrificed  oxen. 

And  their  altars  have  been  as  heaps 

On  the  furrows  of  the  field. 
^^  Even  Jacob  fled  to  the  land  of  Syria, 

And  Israel  served  for  a  wife. 

And  for  a  wife  he  kept  sheep  : 
^^  And  by  a  Prophet  did  Jehovah  bring  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 

And  by  a  Prophet  he  was  preserved : — 
"  (Yet)  Ephraim  has  provoked  him  by  his  high  places ;  (446) 

But  his  blood  shall  on  him  remain. 

And  his  reproach^  will  his  Lord  return  to  him. 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

'  When  Ephraim  spoke,  there  was  trembling  ; 

He  exalted  himself  in  Israel : 

But  he  sinned  by  Baal  and  died. 
'^  And  now  they  have  added  to  their  sin. 

And  have  made  for  themselves  what  is  molten, 

^  Is  it  not  the  reproach  of  Jacob,  mentioned  above,  he  liaving  been  in 
a  servile  state  ? — Ed. 


528  NEW  TRAJNSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  CHAP.  XIII.  3-14. 

From  their  silver,  according  to  their  own  understanding, 

Even  idols — all  being  the  work  of  artificers  : 

To  each  other  they,  who  sacrifice  men,  say, — 

"  Let  them  kiss  the  calves." 
^  They  shall  therefore  be  like  a  morning  cloud, 

Like  the  dew  that  rises  up  eai'ly. 

Like  the  chaflf  which  is  driven  by  a  whirlwind  from  the  floor. 

And  like  the  smoke  from  the  chimney. 
''  But  I,  Jehovah,  am  thy  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt ; 

And  a  god  besides  me  thou  shouldst  not  know ; 

For  a  Saviour,  there  is  none  except  me. 
^  I  knew  thee  in  the  desert,  in  the  land  of  droughts  : 
^  According  to  their  pastures  they  were  filled ;  (459) 

They  were  filled,  and  their  heart  was  elevated  : 

And  hence  they  forgat  me. 
^  I  will  therefore  be  to  them  as  a  lion, 

As  a  leopard  in  the  way  I  mil  lie  in  wait ; 
*  I  will  meet  them  as  a  bereaved  bear. 

And  rend  the  inclosure  of  their  heart ; 

I  will  devour  them  as  a  lion ; — 

The  beast  of  the  field  shall  tear  them. 

^  Destroyed  art  thou,  Israel, 

Though  in  me  was  thy  help  :  (464) 
^°  I  will  be  the  same ; — thy  king,  where  is  he  ? 

To  save  thee  in  all  thy  cities, — 

And  thy  princes  ? — of  whom  thou  hast  said — 

"  Give  me  a  king  and  princes." 
"  I  gave  thee  a  king  in  my  anger, 

And  took  him  away  in  my  fury. 

12  Sealed  up  is  the  iniquity  of  Ephraim, 
Laid  up  in  store  is  his  sin. 

13  The  sorrows  of  one  in  travail  shall  come  on  him ; 
He  is  an  unwise  son  ; 

For  he  should  not  stand  long  in  the  breaking  forth  of 
children. 
1*  From  the  power  of  the  grave  would  I  deliver  them, 
From  death  would  I  redeem  them  ; 


CHAP.  XIV.  1-7.    NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  529 

I  would  be  thy  perdition,  O  death  ; 

I  would  be  thy  destruction,  O  grave  : — 

Repentance  is  hid  from  my  eyes. 
'*'  Though  among  his  brethren  he  may  increase. 

Yet  there  shall  come  an  east  wind — 

The  wind  of  Jehovah,  ascending  from  the  desert ; 

And  it  will  dry  up  his  spring. 

And  dried  shall  be  his  fountain  ; 

It  will  spoil  the  store  of  every  desirable  vessel. 
^'^  Desolated  shall  be  Samaria, 

For  she  has  provoked  her  God : 

By  the  sword  shall  they  fall ; 

Their  infants  shall  be  dashed  in  pieces, 

Their  pregnant  women  shall  be  ripped  up. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

'  Return,  Israel,  to  Jehovah  thy  God  ; 

For  thou  hast  fallen  by  thine  iniquity. 
^  Take  with  you  words,  and  turn  to  Jehovah, 

And  say  to  him, — "  Take  away  all  iniquity,  and  bring  good ; 

And  we  shall  render  to  thee  the  calves  of  our  lips. 
'  The  Assyrian  shall  not  save  us. 

On  a  horse  we  shall  not  mount, 

And  we  shall  not  henceforth  say, — 

*  Our  gods,'  to  the  works  of  our  hands  ; 

For  in  thee  will  the  fatherless  find  mercy." 

*  I  will  heal  their  defections,  I  will  love  them  freely ; 

For  turned  aside  is  my  fury  from  him. 
"'  I  will  be  as  dew  to  Israel ; 

He  shall  floiu'ish  as  the  lily, 

He  shall  fix  his  roots  as  Libauus ; 
**  Spread  shall  his  branches. 

And  as  that  of  the  olive  shall  be  his  comeliness. 

And  his  fragrance  like  that  of  Libanus. 
'  Refreshed  shall  they  be  who  shall  dwell  under  his  shadow  ; 

They  shall  revive  as  the  com,  and  germinate  like  the  vine 
VOL.  I.  2  L 


530  NEW  TKANSLATION  OF  HOSEA.  CHAP.  XIV.  8,  9. 

His  odour  shall  be  like  that  of  the  wine  of  Libanus. 
^  Ephraim  shall  say  ^  "What  have  I  to  do  anymore  with  idols?" 
I  have  heard,  and  showed  him  favour, — 
"  I  shall  be  to  thee  a  shady  fir-tree ; — 
From  me  is  thy  fruit  found." 

g  Who  is  wise  ?  and  he  will  understand  these  things  ; 
Who  is  intelligent  ?  and  he  will  know  them  : 
For  right  are  the  ways  of  Jehovah, 
And  the  just  shall  walk  in  them  ; 
But  in  them  will  the  ungodly  stumble. 


END  OF  VOLUME  FIRST. 


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